Ndalama Yapadera ya Peni ya ku West Africa

Yosimbidwa ndi Mtolankhani wa Galamukani! ku Sierra Leone

KODI munaonapo ndalama ngati iyi? Imeneyi ndi peni ya Kissi. Zina mwa ndalama zimenezi zili pachionetsero kumalo osungirako zinthu zakale a Sierra Leone National Museum, ku Freetown. Pakhadi yolongosola za ndalamayi palembedwa kuti: “Ndalama yodabwitsa imeneyi imapezeka ku Sierra Leone ndi ku Liberia komwe. Inkagwiritsidwa ntchito m’zigawo zonse mpaka 1945. Chifukwa chakuti inkaimira mutu (mbali yozungulirayo) ndi miyendo (mbali yosongoka) inkatengedwa monga ndalama yokhala ndi mzimu. Mfumu ikamwalira mapeni a Kissi ambiri ankaswedwa ndi kuikidwa m’manda ake. Mtengo womaliza wodziŵika umene ankaisinthanitsira unali 50 Kissi kusinthanitsa ndi shiling’i ya ku West Africa imodzi.”

Malingana ndi buku lakuti The African Slave Trade, lolembedwa ndi Basil Davidson, kale akapolo ankagulidwa ndi “miyezo yazitsulo.” Kodi miyezo imeneyi inali mapeni a Kissi? Akatswiri ena amakhulupirira kuti analidi omwewo. Ena amatsutsa. Komabe, ngakhale n’zotheka kuti ndalama zimenezi sankagulira akapolo, mosakayikitsa n’komwe ankagulira akazi.

Malingana ndi zomwe zatchulidwa kale, nthaŵi zina ndalama zimenezi zinkagwiritsidwa ntchito pa chipembedzo, makamaka mogwirizana ndi chikhulupiriro chachikunja chakuti mzimu sufa. Munthu akamwalira, ankati ndi bwino kukamuika kumudzi kwawo. Komabe, ngati wafera kutali, zinkakhala zovuta kubweretsa mtembo kumudzi. Njira imene inalipo inali yobweretsa mzimu pogwiritsa ntchito peni ya Kissi.

Wachibale wa wakufayo ankapita kumudzi umene munthuyo anafera ndi kukatenga peni kwa sing’anga, amene kudzera mwa kulakatula zamatsenga, akuti ankaiphatika mzimu wa munthu wakufa uja. Tsopano inkakhala ntchito ya wachibaleyo kupita nawo mzimuwo (peniyo) kumudzi ndi kukaukwirira m’manda a makolo awo akale.

Wachibaleyo ankaimanga peniyo mu kansalu koyera bwino ndi kuyambapo ulendo wake, umene unkayenera kukhala wakachetechete. Ankakhulupirira kuti ngati ayankhula ndi munthu aliyense panjira, mzimuwo udzatuluka mu peniyo ndi kubwerera kumudzi kumene munthuyo anafera. Ndiye zikatero wachibale uja ayenera kubwereranso kukautenga—basitu kukamulipiranso sing’anga uja!

Ngati anafunikira kuyankhula panjira, wachibaleyo ankaika kaye pansi mosamala peniyo, komabe osati padothi, asanayambe kuyankhulako. Akangoinyamulanso peniyo, basi lamulo lokhala chete lija n’kuyambiranso.

Pokhala aatali masentimita 33 mpaka 35, mapeni a Kissi sanali otha kuloŵa m’thumba kapena ngakhale m’tizikwama ta ndalama. Komabe, mpangidwewo unali woyenererana ndi nthaŵi yawo, poti akanatha kumangidwa mosavuta m’mitolo ndi kunyamulidwa pamutu. Anthu olemera ankasunga mapeni ameneŵa kutsindwi. Ngati nyengo ili yoyenera, mame ankakuta ndalamayo ndipo ankadonthera pansi m’chipindamo. Kuchuluka kwa “mvula” kunali chizindikiro chabwino cha kulemera kwa mwininyumba imene mwaloŵa.