Uhambo Olwaba Yingozi—Lweenqanawa Zomkhosi ZaseSpeyin

NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! ESPEYIN

NGAPHEZU kweenkulungwane ezine ezadlulayo, imikhosi yaselwandle emibini yangquzulana kumjelo omxinwa iEnglish Channel. Olu ngquzulwano lwaluphakathi kwamaProtestanti namaKatolika yaye kwakusele kuziinkulungwane ezili-16 kubanjenwe ngezihlwitha. AmaProtestanti ayekhokelwa nguKumkanikazi waseNgilani uElizabeth I yaye amaRoma Katolika ekhokelwa nguKumkani waseSpeyin uPhilip II. Incwadi ethi The Defeat of the Spanish Armada, ithi “Kubantu ababephila ngeloo xesha, ungquzulwano lwamaNgesi nabemi baseSpeyin kulo Mjelo, lwalungumlo wokufa nokuphila phakathi kobungendawo nobulungisa.”

Abakhi mkhanya belo xesha abangamaNgesi bayichaza le mfazwe yeNqanawa Zomkhosi WaseSpeyin okanye eli dabi likhulu “njengeyona mfazwe inkulu yakha yabonwa yaselwandle.” Kodwa uhambo lwezi nqanawa lwaba yimpazamo enkulu eyakhokelela ekubulaweni kwabantu abangamawaka aliqela. Kodwa kwakutheni ukuze kuthunyelwe ezi nqanawa, phofu yinto le yenza ukuba loo njongo isilele kalusizi kangaka?

Isizathu Sokuphum’ Umkhosi

Kwakusele kuyiminyaka emininzi abaphangi baseNgilani behlasela iinqanawa zaseSpeyin yaye uKumkanikazi waseNgilani uElizabeth wayeyixhasa iimvukelo yabemi baseNetherlands nxamnye nolawulo lwaseSpeyin. Ukongezelela, uPhilip II ongumKatolika, waziva enyanzelekile ukuncedisa amaNgesi angamaKatolika ukuba akususe neengcambu ukwanda kobuProtestanti okwakujongwa “njengoqhekeko.” Ukuza kuthi ga ngelo xesha, ezi nqanawa zomkhosi zazithwele abefundisi abali-180 kunye nabacebisi bezonqulo. Bonke abasebenzi bezi nqanawa, kwakufuneka bavume izono kumfundisi ukuze bafumane uMthendeleko.

Ukuze aqinisekise umkhosi waseSpeyin ukuba le mfazwe yeyonqulo, uJesuit Pedro de Ribadeneryra wathi: “Sikhusela injongo yeNkosi yethu uThixo, yena uza kuhamba nathi—yaye xa sinomphathi-mkhosi ofana naye asimele sibe nedyudyu.” AmaNgesi, ayenethemba lokuba ukoyisa kweli dabi kwakuya kuhlahl’ indlela yokuhlwayela ubuProtestanti kwiYurophu iphela.

Indlela awayeza kuhlasela ngayo ukumkani waseSpeyin yayibonakala iza kuphumelela. Wayalela ukuba umkhosi weenqanawa uhambe nge-English Channel uze udibane neTshawe laseParma kunye nomkhosi wakhe onamava eFlanders.a Lo mkhosi uyimbumba yamanyama, wawuza kuwela lo mjelo uze ufikelele kunxweme lwase-Essex uze wonde ngeLondon uyithimbe. UPhilip wayecing’ ukuba amaNgesi angamaKatolika ayeza kumshiy’ enyanyeni ukumkanikazi wawo ongumProtestanti aze athelele imvukelo yomkhosi wakhe.

Noko ke, icebo likaPhilip lafa namthanyana. Nakuba wayecinga ukuba uxhaswa yaye ukhokelwa nguThixo, kukho imiqobo emibini awayijongela phantsi—ukomelela komkhosi waselwandle wamaNgesi nendawo ekhuselekileyo yokudibana neTshawe laseParma nomkhosi walo.

Inqanawa Yomkhosi Inkulu Kodwa Kunzima Ukuyilawula

UPhilip wanyula ukuba iTshawe laseMedina-Sidonia libe yinkumanda yomkhosi wolwandle lwaseSpeyin. Nakuba eli Tshawe lalingenamava ngomkhosi waselwandle, lalinobuchule bokulungelelanisa izinto. Ngenxa yoko, lakhawuleza lafuman’ inkxaso kubaphathi-mkhosi abanamava. Ngaxhathalinye, bayila umkhosi wokulwa baza balungiselela amanzi okusela nokutya kangangoko babenako. Baceba ngononophelo iindlela zokuthumela imiyalezo kwiinqanawa, imiyalelo yokuzibhexesha nenkcazelo eyayiza kumanyanisa le mikhosi.

Ekugqibeleni, malunga neenqanawa ezili-130, amajoni angama-20 000 noomatiloshe abangama-8 000 bayila umkhosi weenqanawa ezanduluka kwizibuko laseLisbon ngoMeyi 29, 1588. Kodwa ke, imimoya eyayibhudla ngamandla yanyanzela ukuba lo mkhosi ume eLa Coruña, kumntla-ntshona weSpeyin, ukuze kulungiswe amakhwiniba kwezi nqanawa kufunwe amanzi nokutya. Lixhalabele ukutya nokugula kwamanye amajoni alo, iTshawe laseMedina-Sidonia labhalela ukumkani uPhilip ngale ntsumantsumane yayijongene nayo. Kodwa uPhilip wabetha ngengqindi phantsi esithi mabahambe ngokwezicwangciso zabo. Kwaba nzima ke ukubhexesha loo nqanawa yaye ekugqibeleni bafika kwiEnglish Channel kwiinyanga ezimbini emva kokumka eLisbon.

Imilo KwiEnglish Channel

Xa kwagaleleka inqanawa yaseSpeyin kunxweme lasePlymouth, kumzantsi-ntshona weNgilani, amaNgesi ayesele engxangile. Yomibini le mikhosi yayinenani elifanayo leenqanawa, kodwa zazakhiwe ngokwahlukileyo. Iinqanawa zaseSpeyin zazinkulu ibe emacaleni kukho iinkanunu ezinkulu. Zinezinto zokuzikhusela phambili nangasemva, zazikhangeleka ngathi ziinqaba ezihamba phezu kwamanzi. Icebo lomkhosi waseSpeyin yayikukuba amajoni aphume kwenye inqanawa aye kwenye ukuze akhangele indlela zokuhlasela. Iinqanawa zamaNgesi zazimfutshane kodwa zikhawuleza yaye zineenkanunu ezinde. Umphathi walo mkhosi wayengafuni ukusondela kwiinqanawa zaseSpeyin kodwa efuna ukujolisa kuzo emgama.

Ukuze azakhele indlela ethile yokuzikhusela kwiintolo zamaNgesi, umphathi-mkhosi waseSpeyin wamisa umkhosi ngokungathi sisangqa esingaphelelanga. Cala ngalinye lalineyona nqanawa yomeleleyo. Naliphi na icala utshaba olwalunokuhlasela kulo, umkhosi wolwandle wawuguquka uxele inyathi iphakamisa iimpondo zayo xa ihlaselwa yingonyama.

Ezi nqanawa zimbini zalwa kwiEnglish Channel zisilwa amadabi amabini amancinane. Indlela yokuzikhusela yaseSpeyin yabonakala isebenza yaye into yokuba amaNgesi ajolise iinkanunu ekude notshaba ayizange iphumelele. Ngandlel’ ithile umphathi womkhosi wamaNgesi wagqiba kwelokuba basondele kufutshane neenqanawa zotshaba. Elo thuba lavela ngoAgasti 7.

ITshawe laseMedina-Sidonia labambelela kwimiyalelo alaliyinikiwe laza lakhokelela iinqanawa zomkhosi kwindawo ababegqibe ukuba baza kudibana kuyo neTshawe laseParma nemikhosi yalo. Njengokuba lalilinde umyalezo osuka kwiTshawe laseParma, iTshawe laseMedina-Sidonia layalela ukuba kuphoswe iankile kufuphi neCalais, unxweme lwaseFransi. Umqolo uphandle njalo kwiinqanawa zaseSpeyin yaye zibanjwe naziiankile, amaNgesi athumela iinqanawa ezisibhozo azazixhobe zisifa amacala ngeentolo zomlilo zaza zantumeka umlilo kwiinqanawa zaseSpeyin. Uninzi lwabaphathi-mkhosi baseSpeyin lwabelek’ abasicatyana, lungena elwandle luqonda ukuba amanzi angenile endlwini. Amandla omoya atyhalela iinqanawa zaseSpeyin ngasentla.

Emini emaqanda, ngosuku olwalandelayo, kwaliwa idabi lokugqibela. Iinqanawa zamaNgesi zadubula zikufuphi ngoku nezaseSpeyin, zavuthulula iinqanawa zaseSpeyin ezintathu zishiya ezininzi zibubutyobo. Ngenxa yokuba iinqanawa zaseSpeyin zaziphelelwe ziimbumbulu, kwafuneka amajoni aginye nokuba kuyakrakra.

Isaqhwithi esinamandla sakhokelela amaNgesi ukuba ayeke ukuhlasela de kwalusuku olulandelayo. Ngaloo ntsasa, aphinda ema ukuze ahlab’ umkhosi, eneembumbulu ezimbalwa, inqanawa zomkhosi zaqula zalugangatha zaphethukela kutshaba zilungiselela ukuhlasela. Ngaphambi kokuba amaNgesi acinge ngokuthulula irhuluwa, iinqanawa zaseSpeyin zazibona sele zingaselunxwemeni, ziswantsuliswa ngamandla ngumoya namaza zisingise kwisidibi zaseZeeland kunxweme lwaseNetherlands.

Xa kwakungathi iliwa libhek’ umoya, umoya watshintsha wabhekisa kwelinye icala waza watyhalela iinqanawa zomkhosi ngasemantla kwindawo ekhuselekileyo nephangaleleyo eyayiselwandle. Kodwa indlela yokubuyela emva eCalais yayivalwe ngci ziinqanawa zamaNgesi yaye nomoya uqhubeka utyhalela iinqanawa zaseSpeyin ezazivuthuluke kanobom. ITshawe laseMedina-Sidonia labona ukuba amabhongo okungena eNgilani ayemfiliba, ngoko lasindisa iinqanawa namadoda awayesele. Lagqiba kwelokuba libuyele eSpeyin lijikele ngaphaya kweSkotlani neIreland.

Izaqhwithi Nokwaphukelwa Ziinqanawa

Kwakungathi iinqanawa zomkhosi ezazintlithwe kanobom azide zifike ekhaya. Ukutya kwakuncinane yaye ngenxa yokuba ifatyi zawo zazivuza, amanzi ayenqongophele. Kwathi kusajongwe indlala, xa iinqanawa zomkhosi zazisingise kumntla-ntshona wonxweme lwaseIreland, zagagana nesaqhwithi esavuthuza iiveki ezimbini. Ezinye iinqanawa zazika azabonwa nangetshengele! Abanye basala kunxweme lwaseIreland.

Ekugqibeleni, inqanawa yokuqala yomkhosi yathi chu ukufika kwizibuko elikumntla weSpeyin ngoSeptemba 23. Ziinqanawa ezingama-60 kuphela nesiqingatha samadoda afika esidla amazimba ekhaya eLisbon. Amawaka awo arhaxwa elwandle. Amanye abulawa ziintlungu ngenxa yamanxeba okanye izifo endleleni egodukayo. Yonke le nkquleqhu, yashiya izivubeko ezingenakuze ziphele kuloo madoda afikayo kunxweme lwaseSpeyin.

Incwadi ethi The Defeat of the Spanish Armada ithi: “Uninzi lwamadoda awayesebenza kwezo nqanawa abhuqwa linxele likaKhetsekile aza amnabela uqaqaqa,” nakuba iinqanawa zafika kwizibuko laseSpeyin. Le ncwadi ithi enye inqanawa yasuka yee wolokohlo kanye kwizibuko laseSpeyin iLaredo “ngenxa yokuba ayembalwa amadoda omeleleyo okuhlisa iseyile nokuphosa iankile emanzini.”

Okwakuthethwa Kukoyiswa

Ukoyiswa komkhosi weenqanawa zaseSpeyin kwenza amaProtestanti akuMantla Yurophu azithemba nakuba kwakusagquba iimfazwe zonqulo. Ngenxa yoko, amaProtestanti ayecinga ukuba uloyiso lwawo bubungqina bokuba uThixo wayekholiswa ngawo. Ngoko kwenziwa imbasa yamaNgesi ekhumbula eso sihlandlo. Ikrolwe ngamagama athi Flavit יהוה et dissipati sunt 1588, oko kuthetha ukuba “uYehova wavuthela baza bona besaa ngowe-1588.”

Ekuhambeni kwexesha, iBritani yajizekwa ngewonga lokuba ligunya lehlabathi, njengokuba incwadi ethi Modern Europe to 1870 isitsho: “IBritani yathi gqi ngowe-1763 sele inkqenkqeza phambili kwezoqoqosho emhlabeni.” Incwadi ethi Navy and Empire ithi eneneni “ngowe-1763, uBukhosi baseBritani babuphethel’ imbengwana umhlaba wonke ngokungathi yiRoma eyenziwe yankulu yaza yavuk’ umnyele.” Emva koko, iBritani yaba yimbumba yamanyama neMerika ukuze kuyilwe igunya lamaNgesi namaMerika.

Kuyabachulumancisa abafundi beBhayibhile ukuvela nokuwa kwamagunya ehlabathi ezopolitika. Oku kwenziwa kukuba iZibhalo Ezingcwele zinenkcazelo eninzi ethetha ngoorhulumente bomhlaba, iYiputa, iAsiriya, iBhabhiloni, amaMedi namaPersi, iGrisi, iRoma negunya lehlabathi lamaNgesi namaMerika. Xa sitheth’ inyani, iBhayibhile yakuxela kwakude kudala ukuvela nokuwa kwala magunya.—Daniyeli 8:3-8, 20-22; ISityhilelo 17:1-6, 9-11.

Xa sikhangela ngasemva, kucace okwekati emhlophe ehlungwini ukuba isiganeko sowe-1588 sokuphanza kweenzame zoloyiso lweenqanawa zaseSpeyin, sasinentsingiselo ebalulekileyo. Emva kokoyisa ezi nqanawa, iBritani yaba lelona lizwe lisemaqhuzwini kangangeminyaka engama-200, ngaloo ndlela, izalisekisa isiprofeto seBhayibhile.

[Umbhalo osemazantsi]

[Umzobo/Imaphu ekwiphepha 26, 27]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Ukuhamba kwenqanawa yeSpanish Armada

—— Indlela yokugay’ inkxaso

–– Uhambo lokubuyela ekhaya

X Imilo

SPAIN

Lisbon

La Coruña

Santander

FLANDERS

Calais

SPANISH NETHERLANDS

UNITED NETHERLANDS

ENGLAND

Plymouth

London

IRELAND

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

UKumkani uPhilip II

[Inkcazelo]

Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24]

UKumkanikazi uElizabeth I

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 24, 25]

ITshawe laseMedina-Sidonia laliyinkumanda yeSpanish Armada

[Inkcazelo]

Cortesía de Fundación Casa de Medina Sidonia

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 25]

Museo Naval, Madrid