Ukuqalisa Nokuwohloka Kwenkqubo Yorhwebo Lwehlabathi
Icandelo 1c—Imvelaphi Yeengxaki Zemali
IMIZILA ethile yonqulo neyobupolitika kwibutho labantu ilandw’ emva kwimihla kaNimrodi, owakha iBhabhiloni kumawaka eminyaka eyadlulayo. Kukwanjalo nangemizila yenkqubo yoshishino neyorhwebo, nangona oko kusenokuba akwaziwa kangako.—Genesis 10:8-12.
UMdali woluntu, Lowo unelungelo lokumisela imigaqo yokulungileyo nokubi, ebenokukwazi ukuyila ngokulula inkqubo yezoqoqosho ekwaziyo ukulungiselela ngokufanelekileyo iintswelo zentsapho enkulu yoluntu awayecinga ngayo kwangaphambili. Kodwa nje sakube isibini sokuqala siluchasile ukhokelo lukaThixo saza sagxothwa eParadisi, abantu bahamba ngabayibonayo. (Genesis 3:1-24) Bezimele geqe kukhokelo lukaThixo, ngokulandelayo abantu bazivusela uhlobo lwabo lonqulo norhulumente. Ibe nje kwakuba kubonakele ukuba inkqubo ethile yokunyamekela amakhaya yayiyimfuneko ukuze bavelisele intsapho yabo eyandayo izinto eziphathekayo eziyimfuneko, baqalisa ukuvelisa into esiyibiza ngokuba yinkqubo yezoqoqosho. Ngokufanayo nayo bayenza ngaphandle kokhokelo lukaThixo.
Kucace mhlophe ukuba ngexesha likaNimrodi (malunga nowama-2270 B.C.E.), sasisele sikho ngokubanzi isiseko sale nkqubo. IThe Collins Atlas of World History ichaza ukuba “ukususela ngewaka lesithathu leminyaka ukubheka phambili iMesopotami [iBhabhiloni] yaqalisa umanyano olomeleleyo loosomashishini. Bafumba iimpahla, bananiselana, basebenzisa iimpahla ezahlukahlukeneyo njengemali yelo lizwe, yaye babesebenzisa izimbiwa ezibunjwe zaba bubunzima nobukhulu obuthile, ingakumbi isilivere, yaye maxa wambi zazineempawu ezithile ezazinjengesiqinisekiso.” IThe Encyclopedia Americana ithi abemi bamandulo baseShinare—igama lantlandlolo lendawo eyathi kamva yabizwa ngokuba yiBhabhiloni—bavelisa “inkqubo entsonkothe ngokumangalisayo yokuboleka, yokubolekisa neyokugcina imali eluvalelweni baza bavelisa iileta ezigunyazisa umntu ukuba angatsala imali ethile ebhankini.”
Uqheliselo ekubonakala ukuba lwalukho eMesopotami kuphela lwalulolo lokusebenzisa imali njengempahla yorhwebo kuze kubizwe inzala ngokusetyenziswa kwayo. Ngaloo ndlela, imali yaba yindlela yokubangela ingcinezelo yezoqoqosho. Iingxelo ezavunjululwa kumabhodlo aseBhabhiloni zityhila unaniselwano olwaluxhaphaza abemi abathile abahlelelekileyo balapho. Kwanangelo xesha, uqheliselo lwale mihla lokuba abantu bembe kwabanye eqolo lwaluyinto yemihla ngemihla. Akumangalisi ukuba abarhwebi baseBhabhiloni nabaseNineve ngokufuthi kwakuthethwa ngabo njengababethiyiwe nababedeliwe.
EBhayibhileni akubhekiselwanga ngokuthe ngqo kwiinkqubo zorhwebo zomhla kaNimrodi. Sekunjalo, amabinzana afumaneka kwincwadi yayo yokuqala, afana nelithi “wamthenga,” “wathengisa” nelithi “hlalani nirhwebe,” abonisa ukuba ubuncinane kumakhulu aliqela eminyaka kamva, iinkqubo zorhwebo zaziqhelekile.—Bona iGenesis 25:31; 34:10, 21; 39:1; 41:56, 57.
Kukwayinyaniso ukuba kangangethuba elide, imibhalo yoonobumba abatsobhileyo ayithethi nto ngokuphathelele iinkqubo zezorhwebo kwibutho lamaBhabhiloni. Nakubeni ivuma ukuba oku kunzima ukukuchaza, sekunjalo incwadi ethi Ancient Mesopotamia igqiba kwelokuba “ubani akanakucinga ukuba iimbali zorhwebo zaphela kwelo waka leminyaka, ngokukhethekileyo ekubeni kusaziwa ukuba zanda kakhulu kumaxesha asemva koko.” Le ncwadi ibonisa ukuba ngelo xesha unaniselwano ngokuyintloko lwalusezandleni zama-Aramiki yaye imizi neemfele zazisetyenziswa njengezinto zokubhalela.
Abemi baseMesopotami nabaseYiputa babesaziwa ngohambo lwabo lwezorhwebo. Kamva, ukusa kumlinganiselo omkhulu, abemi baseFenike baluthabathel’ indawo urhwebo lwasemhlabeni ngolwaselwandle. Izibuko laseCarthage, elaseTire nelaseTsidon aba ngamaziko aphawulekayo ezorhwebo. Ngokusisiseko unaniselwano lwalusenziwa ngokutshintshiselana ngempahla ukusa malunga nenkulungwane yesibhozo Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo, xa amaGrike aqalisa ukusebenzisa imali eziinkozo njengento eyintloko kutshintshiselwano. Yaye ngokutsho kweThe Collins Atlas of World History, “iinkulungwane ezalandelayo [500 B.C.E.] zaziphawuleke kakhulu ngokuveliswa konaniselwano, imali, iibhanki, ezothutho, kangangokuba ababhali-mbali abaliqela baye bazibiza njengexesha lobukapitali, ngcamango leyo eqondakalayo enoba ibaxiwe.”
Enyanisweni, ukususela ngoko ukusa phambili, iinkqubo zoqoqosho bezisekelwe emalini. Ngoxa ukusetyenziswa kwayo okufanelekileyo kuvunyelwe nguThixo, ukusetyenziswa kwayo okuphosakeleyo akakuvumeli. (INtshumayeli 7:12; Luka 16:1-9) Umnqweno ogqithiseleyo wokuba nemali uye wabangela abantu abaninzi ukuba bakugqwethe okusesikweni, bangcatshe abahlobo, bagqwethe inyaniso ibe bubuxoki baze bazibulale nokuzibulala. Noko ke, phawula ukuba imali ngokwayo ayinakubekwa tyala ngenxa yoku kodwa ityala likubantu abayinyolukeleyo. Nokuba imeko iyintoni na, asikokuzibaxa izinto nangayiphi na indlela ukuthi ‘imali iluncedo ekugcineni ihlabathi lisebenza,’ okanye ibinjalo ngeendlela ezahlukahlukeneyo kangangamawaka eminyaka.—Bona ibhokisi, kwiphepha 7.
Ngaloo ndlela, ebudeni beenkulungwane zangaphambi kwexesha lobuKristu kwandlalwa isiseko seenkalo ezininzi zorhwebo nezoqoqosho esiqhelene nazo namhlanje. Kodwa phezu kwayo nje imbali yayo ende, inkqubo yorhwebo lwehlabathi ayikhange ikwazi ukuvelisa iinkqubo eziqinisekileyo zezoqoqosho ezikwaziyo ukuthintela amaxhala. Sekunjalo asifanele silahle ithemba. Isiphelo seengxaki zemali sisemnyango. Kwiinkupho zethu ezintathu ezilandelayo, siza kucacisa ngakumbi.
[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 8]
Umnqweno ogqithiseleyo wemali uye wabangela abantu bakugqwetha okusesikweni, bangcatsha abahlobo, bagqwetha inyaniso baza babulala
[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 7]
Ukususela Kwityuwa Ukusa Kwiplastiki
Ityuwa:
Amajoni amaRoma ayenikwa imixhesho yetyuwa, kodwa kamva le mixhesho yathatyathelw’ indawo yimali, okanye isalarium. Imihlambi yeenkomo (pecus) yayizizinto ekwakutshintshiselwana ngazo kwiRoma yamandulo. Ukusuka kula magama esiLatini kwavela igama elithi “salary [umvuzo]” nelithi “pecuniary [imali].”
Izimbiwa:
KwiMesopotami yamandulo (kwinkulungwane ye-18 ukusa kweye-16 B.C.E.), isilivere yayisetyenziswa rhoqo kunaniselwano. KwiYiputa yamandulo, kwakusetyenziswa ubhedu, isilivere negolide. Unjingalwazi ngembali yamaTshayina uHans Bielenstein ubhala esithi, ebudeni bomnombo wolawulo lweenkokeli zakwaMing eTshayina (ngowe-1368-1644 B.C.E.), “ubhedu lwalusoloko lusetyenziselwa [imali] exabiso liphantsi, ngoxa isilivere yayisetyenziselwa kakhulu enexabiso eliphakamileyo.”
Imali Eziinkozo:
Iingqekembe ezinobunzima nexabiso elilinganayo, ezenziwe ngomxube wegolide nesilivere owaziwa ngokuba yielectrum, zaziveliswa ngabemi baseLydia eseAnatolia ebudeni benkulungwane yesixhenxe Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo yaye kusenokwenzeka ukuba yayiyimali yokuqala eziinkozo zokwenene; malunga nenkulungwane kamva, eGrisi kwaqaliswa ukuxonxwa kwemali eziinkozo.
Iphepha:
Imali yokuqala engamaphepha ehlabathini yabakho ngowe-1024 eTshayina, xa ulwando kwezorhwebo olungenakuthelekiswa nanto lwakhokelela ekunqongophaleni kwemali eziinkozo. UNjingalwazi uBielenstein uthi: “IMali Ebhabhayo yaqala ukusetyenziswa ukususela ngowama-811, ngexesha lolawulo lwamaT’ang. Ngelo xesha urhulumente wakhupha amaphepha amela imali awayenokusetyenziswa kunaniselwano yaye ekugqibeleni atshintshelwa ekubeni yimali.” Eqalelwe yiNgilani ngowe-1821, amazwe amaninzi amkela ukusetyenziswa kwegolide, okuthetha ukuba ngalo naliphi na ixesha abemi babenokuyitshintsha imali yabo engamaphepha ibe yigolide yokoqobo egcinwe ngoorhulumente koovimba babo bemali. Noko ke, ukususela oko kwapheliswayo ukusetyenziswa kwegolide, namhlanje oorhulumente bagqala imali yabo njengexabiseke ngokupheleleyo, bengenanto ibambekayo yokuxhasa oko.
Iitsheke:
Ziqaliswe ngabaphathi beebhanki abangamaNgesi benkulungwane ye-17, iitsheke zingamaphepha abhaliweyo entlawulo yemali efumaneka ebhankini; le nkqubo yoshishino, ekhuselekileyo nefanelekileyo, iye yathandwa yaza yasasazeka ebantwini ngokubanzi.
Iplastiki:
Amaqweqwe okuthenga ngetyala, abathile abawabiza ngokuba yimali eyiplastiki, aqaliswa eUnited States ngeyee-1920 aza ngokukhawuleza athandwa gqitha ngabantu kulo lonke ihlabathi. Noko ke, ukuzenza kwalo lula izinto nezinye iingenelo zokuba nalo zisuka zingabonakali ngenxa yeengozi zokuba amhendela ubani ekuthengeni ngokugqithiseleyo nasekuphileni ngaphaya kwamandla akhe.