Ferdinand V

Ferdinand V. of Aragon (1453-1516), commonly known as Ferdinand the Catholic, a title conferred upon him by the Pope in reward for his expulsion of the Moors from Spain. He was an astute prince, and a profound, though crafty, politician ; and his marriage in 1496 with the devout and enthusiastic Queen of Castile - Isabella - laid the foundation of Spain's greatness, though the joint action of the pair in establishing the Inquisition (1480), expelling the Jews (1492), and expelling the Moors (1501) was the primary cause of their country's decay. Cardinal Ximenes played no small part in the successes of the reign. The conquest of Granada, which took place in 1491 after ten years' war, the discovery of America for which Isabella furnished ships, and the acquisition of Naples (1503) and Navarre (1512) were the chief events of the reign. Two years after Isabella's death, which occurred in 1504, Ferdinand married again.