Isichazi-magama Esineminyaka Engama-90 Sisenziwa

NGOWE-1621, umhloli wamazwe waseItali wafumana uhlobo oluthile lombhalo ongaziwayo kumabhodlo esixeko samandulo sasePersi iPersepolis. Kwiminyaka yee-1800, abembi bezinto zakudala ababevumbulula eIraq bafumana imibhalo efana naleyo ibhalwe kumacwecwe odongwe nakwiindonga zebhotwe. Loo mibhalo yanceda ekulondolozeni iilwimi zaseMesopotamiya ezazithethwa ngabalawuli abafana noSargon II, uHammurabi, noNebhukadenetsare II. Lo mbhalo unamagama atsobhileyo.

Olu hlobo lokubhala lwalubalulekile ukuze umntu aqonde ukuhambela phambili kwempucuko kwiMesopotamiya yamandulo. Ngoko ke, abaphengululi abazama ukuqonda la maxwebhu babona kufanelekile ukuba bawahlanganise ukuze benze isichazi-magama sesiAkkadia, ulwimi olusondeleyo kwiziyelelane zaseAsiriya naseBhabhiloni.

Lo msebenzi unzima kangaka wenziwa yiOriental Institute yeYunivesithi yaseChicago, eUnited State, ngowe-1921, waza wagqitywa kwiminyaka engama-90 kamva, ngowama-2011. Oku kwaphumela ekubeni nesichazi-magama esikhulu nesinenkcazelo exabisekileyo. Kwisichazi-magama SesiAsiriya esineenxalenye ezingama-26, namaphepha angaphezu kwama-9 700. Siqulethe iilwimi neziyelelane zeelwimi ezazithethwa eIran, eIraq, eSiriya naseTurkey, ukususela kweyewaka lesithathu ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo ukusa kowe-100 C.E.

Yintoni ebangela ukuba ibe ninzi kangaka into equlethwe sesi sichazi-magama? Kwakutheni ukuze kuthathe ixesha elide kangaka ngaphambi kokuba sigqitywe? Ngoobani ababeza kuba nomdla wokusisebenzisa?

Oko Kuqulethwe Siso

UGil Stein, umalathisi kweli ziko laseChicago ucacisa athi: “Esi sichazi-magama asiloludwe nje lwamagama. Kunoko, “ngokudwelisa iinkcukacha zemvelaphi nendlela elalisetyenziswa ngayo igama ngalinye mandulo, nto leyo eyenza lo mqulu ukhethekileyo ube yintyilalwazi yesithethe sembali, uluntu, uncwadi, umthetho nonqulo lwaseMesopotamiya. Nawuphi na umphandi ofuna ukuhlolisisa ingxelo ebhaliweyo ngempucuko yaseMesopotamiya, enoba uphi na umele asisebenzise esi sichazi-magama.”

Abahleli baqonda kwasekuqaleni komsebenzi wabo ukuba “ukuze badlulisele ingcamango echanileyo yamagama, bamele baqokelele zonke iindawo elivela kuzo, kwanokuba babengamele kuqokelela loo magama nje kuphela kodwa namagama awangqongileyo ukuze kuqondwe eyona ntsingiselo yegama kumongo ngamnye.” Ngenxa yoko, esi sichazi-magama saba yingqokelela yeengcaphulo neenguqulelo zamagama atsobhileyo kwiindawo avela kuzo.

Afikelela kwizigidi ngokoqobo amagama atsobhileyo aye afunyanwa kwezi nkulungwane zimbini zidluleyo, yaye axubusha ngemibandela eyahlukeneyo. IsiAsiriya saseBhabhiloni, okanye isiAkkadia, sasilulwimi olwalusetyenziswa ngawo onke amazwe oMbindi Mpuma mandulo. Ukanti, abantu baloo mmandla babevelisa uncwadi; berhweba; befunda imathematika, ngeenkwenkwezi nemilingo; bemisela imithetho; bekhupha oompondo-zihlanjiwe; yaye benqula. Oko kwenze izinto abazibhalayo ngayo yonke le mibandela zibe nguvimba ongayiwayo wenkcazelo.

Imibhalo elapha ayichazi mpucuko ingaqhelekanga. UMatthew Stolper, weYunivesithi yaseChicago nenjingalwazi ngemicimbi yamandulo eAsiriya naseBhabhiloni ebemane efaka isandla kulo msebenzi kangangeminyaka engama-30, uthi: “Izinto ezininzi ozibonayo ziyaziwa—abantu bavakalisa uloyiko nomsindo wabo, babonisa uthando, bacela ukuthandwa. Kukho nemibhalo evela kookumkani ekuchazela ngendlela ababebaluleke ngayo, kwaneminye imibhalo evela kwabanye abantu ethi ezo kumkani kwakungekho yazo.” Imibhalo yaseNuzi, kwi-Iraq, yanamhlanje, ineengxelo zomthetho ezindala kangangeminyaka engama-3 500 zempikiswano eziphathelele ilifa lomhlolokazi, ukunkcenkceshelwa kwentsimi nedonki ebolekiweyo.

Ngaba Lo Msebenzi Ugqityiwe?

Iingcali ngemibandela yamandulo yeAsiriya neBhabhiloni ezivela kulo lonke ihlabathi ziye zafaka isandla kulo msebenzi. Abasebenzi beli ziko baye bachitha amashumi eminyaka befaka kwiifayile amakhadi esalathisi amalunga ne-2 000 000 achaza ngendlela asetyenziswa ngayo amagama. Umqulu wokuqala washicilelwa ngowe-1956. Ukususela ngoko, kuye kwagqitywa imiqulu engama-25 engakumbi. Xa iyonke le miqulu ithengiswa ngemali emalunga nee-R16 000, kodwa yonke loo nkcazelo ifumaneka simahla kwi-Intanethi.

Kuye kwathabatha iminyaka engama-90 yonke ukuze kugqitywe esi sichazi-magama. Nakuba kunjalo, abantu abaye basebenza kule ntaba yomsebenzi bayavuma ukuba zikho izinto abangakwazanga kuzifumana. Lithetha ngoku elinye inqaku lithi: “Abakayazi nangoku intsingiselo yamanye amagama, yaye ngenxa yokuba kusekho amagama amatsha asoloko efunyanwa, lo msebenzi . . . usatyhalela phambili.”