Iingcungela Zamaxesha Aphakathi Kwinzululwazi Ngeenkwenkwezi

UKUTYHUBELA imbali abantu bebesoloko bemangaliswa xa bebona ilanga, inyanga neenkwenkwezi. Ngokufunda ukuma nokuhamba kwezo zinto, umntu uye wakwazi ukubala imihla, iinyanga neminyaka.

Ama-Arabhu ngabanye kubantu abaninzi abaye bafunda ngesibhakabhaka ebusuku. Inzululwazi kuMbindi Mpuma yaqala ngenkulungwane yesithoba yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, yaye izazi ngeenkwenkwezi zama-Arabhu zelo xesha zazigqalwa njengengcungela kwinzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Impumelelo yazo yaba nefuthe ekuphuhlisweni kwale nzululwazi ibangel’ umdla. Makhe sibone indlela eza kwenza ngayo oku.

Izazinzulu zokuqala ngeenkwenkwezi

Ebudeni benkulungwane yesixhenxe neyesibhozo yeXesha Eliqhelekileyo, amaSilamsi andisa umhlaba wawo asinga entshona esuka eArabhiya nakulo lonke eloMntla Afrika aya kuma eSpeyin nasempuma ukuya kuthi xhaxhe ngeAfghanistan. Izifundiswa zalo mmandla mkhulu zatyhalela phambili nophando lwenzululwazi olwalusenziwa ePersi naseGrisi, nolwaluphenjelelwe yiBhabhiloni neYiputa.

Kwandula ke ngenkulungwane yesithoba, kwaguqulelwa imibhalo yenzululwazi ebalulekileyo kwisiArabhu, kuquka iincwadi zesazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi somGrike uPtolemy.a IAbbasid, umlawuli womnombo wookumkani ababelawula ukusuka eAfghanistan ukusa kuLwandle lweAtlantiki, yafumana imibhalo yeSanskrit eyayivela eIndiya eyayinenkcazelo ebalulekileyo yezifundo zemathematika, ngeenkwenkwezi, nezinye izinto zenzululwazi.

AmaSilamsi ayeyixabisa gqitha inzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Ngoba? Esinye isizathu sasiphathelele unqulo lwawo. Ayekholelwa ukuba amele ajonge eMecca xa ethandaza, ngoko ngenxa yenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi ayenokulazi icala ekulo iMecca nokuba aphi na emhlabeni. Ngenkulungwane ye-13, kwezinye izindlu zonqulo lwamaSilamsi kwakude kuqeshwe isazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi, okanye imuwaqqit, eza kunceda abanquli bathandaze ngendlela efanelekileyo. Ngenxa yolwazi lwazo, izazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi zazikwazi ukuqikelela imihla yeziganeko zonqulo, njengexesha lokuzila ukutya kwinyanga iRamadan. Zaziphinda zincede abo baya kunqula eMecca bawucebe kakuhle umgama abaza kuwuhamba nendlela yabo.

Inkxaso Karhulumente

Ekuqaleni kwenkulungwane yesithoba, izifundo zenzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi zaziyinxalenye yazo zonke izifundo ezazisenziwa eBaghdad. UCaliph al-Ma’mūn waseka apho isakhiwo sokujonga esibhakabhakeni nesinye kufuphi neDamasko. Iingcali zejografi nemathematika ezazimsebenzela zahlolisisa, zithelekisa yaye zifuna ukwazi isizathu sokuba kubekho umahluko kubalo olwalwenziwe ePersi, eIndiya, naseGrisi kwinzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Kwaphinda kwakhiwa ezinye izakhiwo zokujonga esibhakabhakeni kwizixeko eziliqela zoMbindi Mpuma.b

Abaphengululi ababesebenza kuloo maziko bafumana imiphumo emihle gqitha xa ucinga ngexesha labo. Ngokomzekelo, kwasekuqaleni kowe-1031, uAbu Rayhan al-Bīrūnī wachaza ukuba kungenzeka ukuba izijikelezi-langa zijikeleza kumzila ombhoxo kunokuba ube sisangqa.

Ukubala ubungakanani Bomhlaba

Ukwanda kobuSilamsi kwavusa umdla wokwenza iimaphu neendlela zokuhamba. Abenzi beemaphu babezabalazela ukufumana imilinganiselo echanileyo, ibe babedla ngokuyifumana. Efuna umlinganiselo ochanileyo wokuba ingakanani idegree yomhlaba kwimaphu yehlabathi awayeyenza, ucaliph al-Ma’mūn wathumela amaqela amabini abahloli bomhlaba kwintlango yaseSiriya. Bephethe iiastrolabes, iinduku zokulinganisa, neentambo, lamaqela ayeza kuhamba ngalinye lisinge kwicala elahlukileyo kwelo liya kulo elinye, de aphawule ukuba idegree itshintshile ngokusuka kwiNkwenkwezi eseMntla. Aqikelela ukuba umgama awuhambileyo umele ulingane nedegree enye kwezingama-360 zomhlaba. Babala loo mgama bawuhambileyo baza bawuphinda-phinda ngama-360 batsho baqonda ukuba ingqukuva yomhlaba imalunga neekhilomitha ezingama-37 369—umgama osondeleyo kulowo wokwenene uziikhilomitha ezingama-40 008!

Amaziko okujonga esibhakabhakeni akuMbindi Mpuma ayenezixhobo eziphambili—iiastrolabes, iiquadrants, iisextants, iisundials nezinye ezazisetyenziswa ukufunda nokukhangela izinto ezisemajukujukwini. Ezinye zezi zixhobo zazizikhulu. Abenzi bazo baqiqa ngelithi okukhona zizikhulu kokukhona zisebenza kakuhle.

Ilifa Elashiywa Ziingcungela Zamaxesha Aphakathi Kwinzululwazi Ngeenkwenkwezi

Zininzi yaye ziyamangalisa izinto ezaphunyezwa zezi ngcungela. Zathiya amagama zaza zabhala phantsi umkhosi wamakroza eenkwenkwezi, zathiya iinkwenkwezi, zenza neekhalenda ezichanileyo, zalinganisa ukusithwa kwelanga yinyanga, zaqhubeka ziphucula ulwazi lwazo ngokuhamba kweenkwenkwezi. Zakwazi ukuchaza indawo eliba kuyo ilanga, inyanga, nezinye izijikelezi-langa ezintlanu nangaliphi na ixesha emini okanye ebusuku—nto leyo iluncedo eluhambeni. Zazikwazi nokuchaza ixesha ukuze zazi ikhalenda ngokujonga indawo ezikuyo iinkwenkwezi nezijikelezi-langa.

Iingcamango ezeza nezazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi zama-Arabhu ukuchaza indlela ezihamba ngayo izijikelezi-langa yeza nesicombululo esibhetele ukuchaza izinto ezaziyingxaki kwingxelo kaPtolemy yenkqubo yendalo. Ekuphela kwento ezingazange ziyiqonde kukuba asingomhlaba, kunoko lilanga elikumbindi wezijikelezi-langa. Nakuba kunjalo, zenza iimaphu zokuhamba kweenkwenkwezi ezichane ngakumbi kunezazikhona ngelo xesha, ibe izinto ezazifumanisayo zaba negalelo elingathethekiyo kwizazinzulu ezalandelayo ehlabathini jikelele.

[Imibhalo esemazantsi]

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 17]

Izazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi zalondoloza iingxelo zokuhamba kweenkwenkwezi kwiqela leekhalenda ezaqokelelwa kumazwe amaSilamsi

[Ibhokisi/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 19]

“IKHOMPYUTHA YEPOKOTHO” YAMANDULO

Iastrolabe, isixhobo esasisetyenziswa ngaphambi kwesextant, bekusoloko kusithiwa “sesona sixhobo sibalulekileyo kwinzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi ngaphambi kweteleskopu.” Iingcungela zamaxesha aphakathi zoMbindi Mpuma zazisebenzisa esi sixhobo ukucombulula iingxaki zexesha neendawo ezikuyo iinkwenkwezi esibhakabhakeni.

Iastrolabe yayinomfanekiso ocacileyo wesibhakabhaka owazotywa kwipleyiti yesinyithi emenyezelayo. Iidegrees okanye iiyure zosuku, zazibhalwa kwincam yayo yesiphatho eyayenzelwe kuso loo pleyiti. Kwakusetyenziswa usiba olujikelezayo (ialidade) ukukhomba indawo ekuyo inkwenkwezi ethile xa esi sixhobo siphakanyisiwe ukusuka emhlabeni sakubude bengalo. Imiphumo yayifundwa kwisikali, esifana neso sikwislide rule.

Iastrolabe yayinceda abantu bakwazi ukwahlula iinkwenkwezi, baqikelele ukuphuma nokutshona kwelanga nangaluphi na usuku, babone icala ekulo iMecca, bahlole umhlaba, babale nobude bezinto, naxa behamba. “Yayiyikhompyutha yepokotho” yelo xesha

[Imifanekiso]

Iastrolabe yenkulungwane ye-13

Iastrolabe yenkulungwane ye-14 enamacandelo amane

[Inkcazelo]

Astrolabe: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY; astrolabe quadrant: © New York Public Library/Photo Researchers, Inc.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 16]

Umfanekiso wenkulungwane ye-16 obonisa izazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi zamaOttoma zisebenzisa iindlela ezazisetyenziswa zizazinzulu zama-Arabhu

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Umfanekiso wezinto ezisesibhakabhakeni ngowe-1285 C.E.

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 18]

Amaphepha ombhalo-ngqangi wesiArabhu onamakroza eenkwenkwezi, owabhalwa sisazinzulu ngeenkwenkwezi uAbd al-Raḥmān al-Sufi, malunga nowama-965 C.E.

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 17]

Pages 16 and 17: Art Resource, NY

[Inkcazelo Ngemifanekiso ekwiphepha 18]

Manuscript: By permission of the British Library; globe: © The Bridgeman Art Library