What was the given name of the first Grand Inquisitor, Torquemada?

Tomás de Torquemada, (born 1420, Valladolid, Castile, Spain—died 16 September 1498, Ávila, Castile, Spain), was the first Grand Inquisitor in Spain. Tomas was the nephew of a noted Dominican cardinal and theologian, Juan de Torquemada.

He was both confessor and adviser to Isabella of Castille and later on to Fernando of Aragon and his influence on them was noticeable. Torquemada, a descendant of a Jewish convert himself, was convinced that the existence of the Marranos (Jewish converts), Moriscos (Islamic converts), Jews, and Moors was a threat to the religious and social life of Spain, and his influence with the Catholic monarchs enabled him to carry on their policies.

In his capacity as Grand Inquisitor (he was appointed in August 1483), Torquemada reorganized the Spanish Inquisition, which had been set up in Castile in 1478, establishing tribunals at Seville, Jaén, Córdoba, Ciudad Real, and, later, Zaragoza. Subsequently, his powers were extended to Aragon, Catalonia, Valencia, and Majorca. The Inquisition's competence was extended to include not only crimes of heresy and apostasy but also sorcery, sodomy, polygamy, blasphemy, usury, and other offenses; torture was authorized in order to obtain evidence.

The number of burnings at the stake during his tenure has been estimated at about 2,000. Due to complaints received in Rome, Pope Alexander VI appointed four assistant inquisitors in June 1494 to restrain him.