Iminyaka Yokulawula KukaKumkanikazi UElizabeth I—Ngaba Ngokwenene Yaba Yimpumelelo?

WAYEYINTANDANE ngeemini zakhe. Ababhali, iimbongi, abadlali beqonga nabenzi befilimu zale mihla bamthathe bambeka emanqwanqweni. Kutshanje, kuye kwenziwa imiboniso ibe bekuphum’ incwadi emva kwenye, zonke zibalisa ngobomi bakhe. Kuthiwe xa bekubuzwa abantu abahlukahlukeneyo ehlabathini, kwafunyaniswa ukuba uphakathi kwabantu abalishumi baseBritani abahamba phambili. NguKumkanikazi uElizabeth I waseNgilani lo sithetha ngaye.

Yintoni le yayitsala abantu kule nkokelikazi, eyayibizwa ngeemini zayo ngokuba nguKumkanikazi Onyulu noKumkanikazi Olungileyo uBess? Singatsho ngenene na ukuba yaphumelela?

Ufika Kukho Intaphane Yeengxaki

UElizabeth Tudor walibona ilanga ngowe-1533—engathandi uyise ukumkani uHenry VIII, kuba yena wayenyeke indlalifa engunyana. Unina uAnne Boleyn, owayengumfazi wesibini kaHenry akazange azale nyana. UHenry wathi makanqunyulwe intloko ngenxa yezityholo abaninzi abacinga ukuba zaphekwa. Kusenzeka loo nto nje, uElizabeth uneminyaka emibini kuphela ezelwe.

UHenry wayengasafuni nantoni na yakwenza nopopu waseRoma yaye wayesithi nguye oyintloko yeCawa yaseNgilani. Uthe akusweleka uHenry ngowe-1547, abacebisi bonqulo bonyana wakhe uEdward VI bazama ukutshintsha abantu baseNgilani babe ngamaProtestanti. UEdward lo ulawule iminyaka emithandathu kuphela wasweleka, laza elo lizwe labuyela kubuRoma Katolika xa kwakulawula okwethutyana udadeboElizabeth uMary I, owabulala abantu abaninzi.a Uthe xa ethath’ iintambo zolawulo uElizabeth ngowe-1558, eneminyaka engama-25 ubudala, wafika iinkonzo zonqulo eNgilani zitsalana ngezihlwitha, yabe ke nemeko yemali ihesheheshe. Yayisanda kuphuncukana neFransi yabe neSpeyin ibonakala inganobungozi kuyo.

Ukuqalisa kukaElizabeth ukulawula, wasondeza abacebisi abaphum’ izandla, abanye ke kubo baqhubeka besebenza naye kuyo yonke iminyaka engama-44 yolawulo lwakhe. Ingxaki yokuqala awayilungisayo lunqulo. INational Maritime Museum ithi wakhetha “ukubuyisela uHlaziyo waza waqala phantsi ukwakha iCawa yaseNgilani eyayingazi kuba nanto yakwenza nobuKatolika ingatyekelanga phofu nakubuProtestanti.” Akazange afune ukuba yintloko kodwa wazibeka njengerhuluneli yale cawa ezama ukunquml’ iimpondo abantu ababengayingeni into yokuphathwa libhinqa. Nepalamente yapasisa uMthetho Wokufaniswa Kwemigaqo-nkqubo (Act of Uniformity), nto leyo eyazimilisela neengcambu iinkolelo namasiko eCawa yaseNgilani, nangona yayisazigushile ezinye izithethe zamaKatolika. Le nto “yokudityaniswa kwezinto” yafika yakrakra kumaKatolika amaninzi nakumaProtestanti awayesadla ngendeb’ endala, ekuthiwa ngamaPuritan.

Kwakukho nenye ingxaki awayejikajikana nayo uElizabeth lo. Ngaba wayeza kuthotyelwa aze ahlonelwe luhlanga olwalusophisa ngenxa yokulawulwa ngegqudu nguMary I? Wakhetha ukusebenzisa ukuba libhinqa kwakhe. UChristopher Haigh ongumbhali-mbali uthi: “Xa elawula, uElizabeth wayeba nguKumkanikazi Onyulu; abe ngumama eCaweni, athi ke xa ehleli nezinye ingcungcu abe ngumzali, aphinde abe nochuku xa esebenza nabacebisi bakhe kodwa wayenendawo yokuzithandisa kumaphakathi akhe.” Inye into awayeqiniseka ngayo, yile yokuhlala ebaxelela abantu bakhe ukuba ubathanda ngeyona ndlela. Nabantu ke babemthanda okanye ke bethu bathi ngokusoloko benokozwa ngale nto yokuthandwa bada bayamkela.

Ipalamente yayitshutshumba ifuna uElizabeth atshate ukuze azale indlalifa yamaProtestanti. Amasoka asebukhosini atshintshana ngokuzibika kuye. UElizabeth wayezenza ngathi unomdla kwelo soka, kuqengqeleke iinyanga, nkqu neminyaka, ethetha nalo ngamalungiselelo omtshato, kuthi ngelingeni alilahle xa engevani nalo ngezobupolitika.

Njengoko uElizabeth lo, “wayendyengelele” kwindlela awayelulawula ngayo unqulo, babemfun’ apha bemenzela amayelenqe. Oyena mntu wayemlalele ngesisu efuna ukumbhukuqa, ngumzala wakhe ongumKatolika uMary Stuart, owayegqalwa ngamaKatolika aseYurophu njengeyona ndlalifa kaMary I. Le ngxaki izokuqatsela ngowe-1568 xa kwanyanzeleka ukuba uMary ancame itrone yolawulo eSkotlani aze abalekele eNgilani. Nangona wayevalelwe endlini, wakhawuleza waphambili kumayelenqe amaKatolika okubhukuqa lo kumkanikazi ungumProtestanti kodwa uElizabeth wema kwelokuba akasayi kuyibulala le nkokeli ingugxa wakhe. Ngowe-1570 uPopu Pius V wathumela isijoli esichazela uElizabeth ukuba usikiwe ecaweni waza wayalela abantu abangaphantsi kwalo kumkanikazi ukuba bangamthobeli. Upopu owalandelayo uGregory XIII wathi chatha yena kule nto ngokuba wayitsho phandle into yokuba akunakuba sisono ukuhlasela iNgilani kuze kubhukuqwe ukumkanikazi. Wabibitheka ngumsindo ukumkanikazi uElizabeth esakuva ukuba uAnthony Babington ubanjwe esenza iyelenqe lokumbulala, noMary ephakathi kuloo nto. Ekugqibeleni, kwanyanzeleka ukuba uElizabeth amncame uMary yaye ethofiyelwa yipalamente wada woyisakala wayivuma into yokuba uMary makabulawe ngowe-1587. Abila ngumsindo amaKatolika aseYurophu—singasathethi ke ngoPhilip II waseSpeyin.

Icebo Elinamandla likaPhilip ongumKatolika

UPhilip, inkokeli enamandla yaseYurophu ngexesha lakhe, wazama ukulondoloza ubuKatolika eNgilani ngokuzibika kuElizabeth xa wayesandul’ ukubekwa njengokumkanikazi kodwa eli nenekazi lasikhaba ngaw’ omane eso sicelo. Ngelo xesha, kwakusele kuyiminyaka amasela angamaNgesi ekhuthuza iinqanawa namazibuko aseSpeyin yaye ecel’ umngeni ubunganga bayo njengethanga. Eny’ into eyathi chath’ ityuwa enxebeni kukuxhasa kukaElizabeth amaDatshi kumzabalazo wawo wokufuna uzimele geqe kwiSpeyin. Eyafika yamgqibezela uPhilip yaba yeyokubulawa kukaMary. Ephenjelelwa ngupopu, wathumela iSpanish Armada, iinqanawa ezili-130 ukuba ziye eNetherlands ziye kulanda umkhosi omkhulu wasemhlabeni zize zinqumle iEnglish Channel ziye kuhlasela iNgilani. Zithe zisabotshelelwa ezi nqanawa, iintlola zaseNgilani zayiva loo nto. UElizabeth wathumela uMhlekazi uFrancis Drake neenqanawa ezingama-30 kwizibuko laseSpeyin, iCádiz, apho wafika wadlakaza eziliqela kwezi nqanawa zixabisekileyo, nto leyo eyalilibazisa ngonyaka wonke iphulo leArmada.

Yathi isuka ezibukweni iArmada ngowe-1588 yabe ilindelwe ngumkhosi wamanzi waseNgilani. Nangona zazihlaselwa, ezi nqanawa zaseSpeyin zakwazi ukuyinqumla iEnglish Channel zingadlakazwanga kangako zaza zaya kumisa kwizibuko laseFransi, iCalais. Kubusuku obulandelayo iNgilani yathumela iinqanawa ezisibhozo zokudubula.b Ngenxa yolo loyiko, la majoni aseSpeyin athi saa kwaza emva kokuvan’ amandla, adudulelwa kude neNgilani ngumoya osuka emzantsi-mpuma waya kubafaka emantla ngaseSkotlani. Iinkqwithela ezingaseSkotlani nakunxweme lwasempuma Ireland zasibetha sabubugoxo isiqingatha seenqanawa zaseSpeyin zaza eziseleyo zacothoza ukugoduka zibuyela eSpeyin.

Ukuqala “Kweminyaka Yempumelelo”

Ukuqala kukaElizabeth ukulawula, iNgilani yayingenanto phesheya kweelwandle. Ngokwahlukileyo yona iSpeyin yayizibuthela ubutyebi kwiindawo eyayizoyisile kuMntla, kuMbindi nakuMzantsi Merika. INgilani nayo yayizifunela kobu butyebi. Ngoko ke abakhenkethi bezoshishino banqumla iilwandle befuna udumo, ubutyebi neendlela ababenokuhamba ngazo xa berhweba neTshayina namazwe aseMpuma. UMhlekazi uFrancis Drake waba ngumatiloshe wokuqala ukujikeleza ihlabathi ngenqanawa yakhe, ekhuthuza iinqanawa ezinobutyebi zaseSpeyin njengoko wayegugutha unxweme olukwintshona yoMzantsi noMntla Merika. Elwisana nokulawula kweSpeyin uMntla noMzantsi Merika, uMhlekazi Walter Raleigh wabinza ngemali exhasa iinzame zokuvula ithanga kuNxweme olukwiMpuma yoMntla Merika. Umhlaba awawuthatha apho wawubiza ngokuba yiVirginia, esenjenjalo ngelokunik’ imbeko kuKumkanikazi Onyulu waseNgilani (Virgin Queen). Nakuba ekuqaleni aphanza loo malinge okuseka amathanga, ayenza iNgilani yaba nomdla wokuphinda kwixesha elizayo. Wathi wakoyisa “iArmada Engoyiswayo,” yaseSpeyin waqala umkhosi wamanzi waseNgilani wazithemba noElizabeth watyikitya izivumelwano zorhwebo kunye nomzantsi-mpuma Asia. Baqala ke ngolo hlobo uBukhosi baseBritani obabuza kuthi tshitshilili emhlabeni wonke.c

KwelaseNgilani, kwakukhuthazwa imfundo. Kwavulwa izikolo ezitsha, nto leyo eyavulela abafundi amathuba angakumbi emfundo. Ukuthanda iincwadi kwakunye nenkqubela kwezokushicilela kwabangela ukuba ukufunda kube sisithethe. Kwakungelo xesha kanye ekwakuphila ngayo uWilliam Shakespeare nabanye abadlali beqonga abaphum’ izandla. Abantu babephuma ngendlu besiya kubukela imidlalo yeqonga yala machule. Iimbongi zazibhala imibongo emnandi nabaqambi besiza noncuthu mazangwa lweengoma. Abazobi abanobuchule babezoba imifanekiso enobuhle obuthi ndijonge kakumkanikazi nabacebisi bakhe. Iinguqulelo zeBhayibhile ezintsha zaziyeyona nto ibalulekileyo ezicaweni nakumakhaya abantu. Kodwa ke zahamba zaphela ezo mini zempumelelo.

Yaphela Pam Iminyaka Yempumelelo

Iminyaka yokugqibela kaElizabeth yayizele ziinkathazo. Bathi bakufa abacebisi bakhe, watyumba abanye abambalwa, nto leyo eyabangela ukuba acatshukelwe yinkundla yaza yamvukela nangona ingazange iphumelele kuloo mvukelo. Ubukumkani bakhe baphinda badlavulwa ziiyantlukwano zonqulo. AmaKatolika ala ukuya kwiinkonzo zamaProtestanti yaye atshutshiswa gqitha. Lwathi luphela ulawulo lwakhe, kwabe sele kubulewe abefundisi namarhamente amalunga nama-200. NamaPuritan ayebanjwa aze abulawe. EIreland, kwavukelwa ulawulo lwamaNgesi, yaye ayizange iphele imfazwe nxamnye neSpeyin. Izihlandlo ezine zesivuno esingesihle zabangela ukuba lintinge inani labantu abangaphangeliyo nabangqibayo yaye abantu bagwayimbela ukunyuka kwamaxabiso okutya. Abantu babengasafuni nokumbona uElizabeth. INgilani yayingasamthandi uKumkanikazi wayo Onyulu.

UElizabeth owayengasayiboni into ayiphilelayo nowayengowokugqibela kubalawuli bakwaTudor, wafa ngoMatshi 24, 1603. Yabothusa gqitha abantu le nto, kodwa kwathi kusihlwa yabe inguhiki-hiki wemibhiyozo, betshisa izinto ezitratweni besamkela umlawuli omtsha. Babede bayifumana inkokeli—uJames VI waseSkotlani, unyana ongumProtestanti kaMary Stuart. Ehleli kuloo trone kaJames I waseNgilani, wenza into eyayoyise uElizabeth—wamanyanisa amakomkhulu amabini phantsi kolawulo olunye. Akhawuleza aphela amathemba ababenawo abantu belo lizwe bavakala bemcinga uKumkanikazi wabo Olungileyo uBess.

Ngaba Iminyaka Yokulawula Kwakhe Yaba Yimpumelelo?

Ababhali-mbali bakudala babengamncomi babemtyibela uElizabeth. Kuthe kwiminyakana nje isandul’ ukusweleka le nkokeli, uWilliam Camden wachaza ulawulo lwayo njengexesha lempumelelo nenkqubela, ekuthe ngalo wabangela ukuba abantu bazibone bephezulu. Kwaqengqeleka iinkulungwane kungekho mntu uyiphikisayo loo nto. UElizabeth waduma nangakumbi ngasekupheleni kwenkulungwane ye-19, enconywa ngokuseka uBukhosi baseBritani obabusele bugubungele ikota yehlabathi.

Ababhali-mbali bale mihla abayiboni le nto ingaka kuthethwa ngayo ngolawulo lukaElizabeth. IThe Oxford Illustrated History of Britain ithi: “Udumo lukaElizabeth alufumene sele eswelekile lungaphezulu kwezinto aziphumezileyo. Lizicacele elokuba amaqhinga akhe, . . . ukuphila kwakhe ixesha elide, ubukho bukaShakespeare ngexesha lakhe nokoyisa kwakhe iArmada kusimfamekisile kwasenza sahamba nomndilili wabantu abamphakamisayo, siyilibele into yokuba wathi ngobuqili wenza iNgilani ayalawuleka.” UHaigh ebesikhe sathetha ngaye uchaza isizathu sokuba abanye ababhali-mbali babhale ngale ndlela ngokumkanikazi xa esithi: “Ngowe-1603, uElizabeth wayesele egqalwa njengesidenge sexhegwazana, kuba abantu babesele bezithembise ngokumkani ophuma kumnombo kaStuart. Kuthe kubetha owe-1630, abantu sele bephoxiwe ngookumkani bakwaStuart, waphinda lo kumkanikazi wajongwa njengomzekelo womlawuli ophum’ izandla.”

Ayinakuphikiswa into yokuba uElizabeth wayelibhinqa elawubetha waya kuxela umsebenzi wamadoda. Ekrelekrele kwaye ezimisele, wayekwazi ukuphatha abantu encediswa ngabacebisi bakhe ababesithi ngobuchule bagqibe ngento aza kuyithetha kwiintetho zakhe, indlela aziphatha ngayo xa ephambi kwabantu, indlela anxiba ngayo kwakunye nemifanekiso yakhe ukuze kulondolozwe indlela abantu abalijonga ngayo ikomkhulu kwakunye nempumelelo yalo.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 22]

“Udumo lukaElizabeth alufumene sele eswelekile lungaphezulu kwezinto aziphumezileyo”

[Ibhokisi/Umfanekiso okwiphepha 22]

UJOHN DEE NOBUKHOSI BASEBRITANI

UElizabeth wathi uJohn Dee (1527-1608/9) sisisele sakhe senyathi. Wayeyingcali ehlonelwayo yezibalo, ingcungela kwezokuma komhlaba, ichule kwizifundo ngeenkwenkwezi, ezithanda kakhulu nezinto eziphathelele izijikelezi langa, engazibandezi nalaph’ emilingweni. Wamcebisa lo kumkanikazi nangosuku awabekwa ngalo esihlalweni sokulawula ibe wayezobela ebhotwe. Enconywa ngokulenza laziwe ibinzana elithi “uBukhosi baseBritani,” wakhuthaza uElizabeth ukuba azigqale njengokumkanikazi wexesha elizayo ngokulawula iilwandlekazi nangokwandisa amazwe awayeza kuwalawula. Enaloo njongo wafundisa abakhenkethi, ingakumbi abo babehlola iindlela ezikuMntla-mpuma nezikuMntla-ntshona eziya kumazwe aseMpuma yaye wawaxhasa onke amayelenqe okwenza ilizwekazi loMntla Merika libe lithanga.

[Inkcazelo]

Photograph taken by courtesy of the British Museum

[Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 20, 21]

A. Iinqanawa ezidubulayo ezathunyelwa kwiSpanish Armada B. UMhlekazi UFrancis Drake C. UKumkanikazi uElizabeth D. Iqonga Lemidlalo iThe Globe Theatre E. UWilliam Shakespeare.

[Inkcazelo]

A: From the book The History of Protestantism (Vol. III); B: ORONOZ; C: From the book Heroes of the Reformation; D: From the book The Comprehensive History of England (Vol. II); E: Encyclopædia Britannica/11th Edition (1911)

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 19]

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