U-Ibn Battuta Wembula Uhambo Lwakhe

NGO-1325, insizwa ethile yasuka eTangier, eMorocco, yathatha uhambo lokuqala olwaluzoyibeka ezindaweni eziqhele kakhulu ezweni elalaziwa ngaleyo nkathi, ahlanganisa iChina, iNdiya, i-Indonesia, iMali, iPersia, iRussia, iSyria, iTanzania, iTurkey kanye nawo wonke amazwe ama-Arabhu. Le nsizwa kwakungu-Abu Abdallah ibn Battuta, futhi yahamba amakhilomitha angaba ngu-120 700—into eyayingakaze yenziwe muntu ngaphambi kokusungulwa kwezinjini zesitimu.

U-Ibn Battuta uye wabizwa ngokuthi umhambi wamazwe oyiSulumane omkhulu kunabo bonke wezikhathi zangaphambili. Umlando wakhe, owalotshwa lapho esebuyele kwelakubo ngemva kohambo lweminyaka engu-30, usisiza ukuba sifunde ngezici eziningi zokuphila kwakhe phakathi nekhulu le-14, ikakhulukazi ngamazwe amaSulumane ngenkathi ephakathi.

Uhambo Lokuya EMecca Engcwele

U-Ibn Buttata wasuka eTangier wavakashela izindawo ezingcwele ngenjongo yokukhulekela, okuyinto eyimfuneko kubantu abadala abangamaSulumane abavunyelwa yimpilo nesimo sabo sezimali ukuba benze kanjalo. IMecca iqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-4 000 ukusuka eTangier. Njengabantu abaningi abathatha uhambo lokuya endaweni engcwele, ukuze aphephe u-Ibn Battuta wazibandakanya neqembu labantu elalizomsiza ukuze afinyelele lapho ayeya khona.

Ngenxa yokuthi uyise wayeyi-qadi noma umahluleli, indodana yakhe yathola imfundo yokuba umahluleli, okuyimfundo eyayiphakeme kakhulu eTangier ngaleso sikhathi. Lapho bezwa ngalokhu, abahambi bamazwe ababekanye noBattuta bamenza umahluleli ukuze axazulule noma iziphi izingxabano endleleni.

Ukuya E-Alexandria, ECairo Nasenhla NeNayile

Leli qembu lagudla ugu lweNyakatho Afrika laya eGibhithe. Lapha, u-Ibn Battuta wabona i-lighthouse edumile yase-Alexandria—isimangaliso sezwe lasendulo—ngaleso sikhathi eyase iwohlokile. Wathi iCairo, “yayinezakhiwo eziningi kakhulu, ubuhle bayo bungenakuqhathaniswa nalutho, iyindawo yezihambi ezivela ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene, inezinkumbi zabantu abamatasa.” Zazimkhanga kakhulu izikebhe, izivande, izimakethe, izakhiwo zenkolo namasiko akuleli dolobha elihle. Njengomkhuba wakhe, eGibhithe wafike wafuna ukusekelwa abefundisi, izazi nabanye abantu abanethonya futhi wakuthola.

Wasuka eCairo waya maphezulu neNayile elibangise eNhla neGibhithe, endleleni ejabulela umoya wokungenisa izihambi wabaholi benkolo, izindela zesilisa nokuhlala ezakhiweni nasemakolishi asekelwa ngeminikelo—okwakuvamile ngaleso sikhathi emadolobheni amaSulumane. Injongo yakhe kwakuwukunqamula uLwandle Olubomvu, aye entshonalanga ye-Arabhiya, abese eya eMedina, okwakwakhiwe kuyo ithempeli lomprofethi uMuhammad naseMecca. Kodwa akakwazanga ukufinyelela khona ngenxa yempi, wabe esebuyela eCairo.

Indlela Echezukayo Nethathelayo

Njengoba ayesazimisele ukufinyelela eMedina naseMecca, u-Ibn Battuta waya ngasenyakatho eGaza, wadlula eHebron, wabe eseya endaweni okukholelwa ukuthi kwangcwatshwa kuyo u-Abrahama, u-Isaka noJakobe. Endleleni eya eJerusalema nasendlini yokukhulekela ebizwa ngokuthi iDome of the Rock, wafike wama eBhetlehema, lapho abona khona amaKristu okuzisholo ahlonishwayo ekhulekela endaweni athi kwazalelwa kuyo uJesu.

Ngaleso sikhathi u-Ibn Battuta waya ngasenyakatho eDamaseku, lapho afunda khona nezazi eziphakeme zamaSulumane futhi wathola iziqu zokufundisa. Uthi i-Umayyad Mosque yakuleli dolobha, “yayiyinhle kunawo wonke” emhlabeni. Izimakethe zendawo zazidayisa izinto zokuhloba, indwangu, izinto zokubhala, izincwadi, izinto ezenziwe ngengilazi, kuyilapho izindawo zabameli zaziba “nofakazi abahlanu kuya kwabayisithupha nomuntu owayegunyazwa ngumahluleli ukuba abe umshadisi.” Empeleni, lapho eseDamaseku, u-Ibn Battuta washada. Kodwa umkakhe, wayengomunye wabafazi bakhe abaningi kuhlanganise nezancinza angakhulumi lutho kangako ngabo kulo mlando wakhe.

EDamaseku, u-Ibn Battuta wazibandakanya nabanye abantu ababesohambweni lokuyokhulekela eMecca. Endleleni, iqembu lakhe lahloma amathende eduze nomthombo othile abantu abakha kuwo amanzi ababesebenzisa isikhumba senyathi ukuze bakhe amathangi amakhulu amanzi. Kula mathangi, izihambi zaziphuzisa amakamela futhi zigcwalise nezigubhu zazo zamanzi ngaphambi kokunqamula ugwadule. Ekugcineni wafika eMecca. Lolu kwakuwuhambo lwakhe lokuqala koluyisikhombisa lokuyokhulekela kule ndawo. Abantu abaningi abathatha uhambo lokuyokhulekela babuyela emakhaya ngemva kokwenza imicikilisho yabo yenkolo. Kodwa hhayi u-Ibn Battuta. Waya eBaghdad “ukuze nje ayobona le ndawo,” kusho omunye umbhali.

Ukuhamba Amazwe Ngamazwe

EBaghdad, eyayiyinhloko-dolobha yamaSulumane, u-Ibn Battuta wahlatshwa umxhwele izindawo zokugeza zomphakathi. Wathi, “Isakhiwo ngasinye sinezindawo zokugeza ezinkulu eziningana, ngayinye yazo yayinendawo yokugeza ubuso nezandla, inompompi ababili bamanzi ashisayo nabandayo.” Ngosizo lwesikhulu esithile sezempi esinobungane, le nsizwa yakwazi ukubonana no-Abu Sa’id. Kulowo mhlangano u-Ibn Battuta waphiwa izipho eziyigugu—ihhashi, ingubo egqokwa ngemikhosi ephambili, waphathiswa nencwadi eya kumbusi waseBaghdad eyayimcela ukuba aphe le nsizwa amakamela.

U-Ibn Battuta wabe esehamba ngomkhumbi waya emathekwini aseMpumalanga Afrika iMogadishu, iMombasa neZanzibar ngaphambi kokuya e-Arabhiya nasePersian Gulf. Kamuva wachaza abantu, amasiko nemikhiqizo ayibona kulolo hambo—indlela okwakuphathwa ngayo abahwebi eSomalia, ukuhlafunwa kwe-betel-nut nokutshalwa kukakhukhunathi eYemen kuhlanganisa nokufuna amapharele ngaphansi kwamanzi ePersian Gulf. Wabe esethatha uhambo olujikelezayo oluya eNdiya—wanqamula eGibhithe, eSiriya nase-Anotalia (eTurkey); wanqamula uLwandle Olumnyama; wayojika enyakatho yoLwandle iCaspian; wabe esehla ebheke endaweni namuhla eyaziwa ngokuthi iKazakhstan, ne-Uzbekistan, Afghanistan nePakistan.

Usuka ENdiya Uya EChina

ENdiya, u-Ibn Battuta wakhonza njengomahluleli wenkosi yaseDelhi iminyaka engu-8. Njengoba yayazi ukuthi u-Ibn Battuta uyakuthanda ukuhamba, le nkosi yamthumela njengenxusa layo kumbusi waseChina ongumMongol, uTogon-temür. Uma efika lapho, kwakufanele adlulisele isipho sokuqinisa izibopho zokuzwana, “amahhashi ayikhulu, izigqila ezimhlophe eziyikhulu, amantombazane angamaHindu ayikhulu angabaculi nabadansi, izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezindwangu ezingaba yinkulungwane namakhulu amabili, igolide nesiliva, izitsha zokugeza, izindwangu ezihlotshisiwe, izigqoko, izikhwama zeminsalo, izinkemba, amagilavu ahlotshiswe ngamapharele kanye nabathenwa abayishumi nanhlanu.”

Ethekwini eliseningizimu yeNdiya iCalicut, u-Ibn Battuta wabona imikhumbi emikhulu yabahwebi ebizwa ngokuthi ama-junk (uhlobo lwemikhumbi yaseChina), eyayisendleleni eya eChina lapho naye ayehlose ukuya khona. Le mikhumbi yayinoseyili abangaba ngu-12, bonke benziwe ngoqalo olwelukiwe, nezisebenzi ezingafinyelela enkulungwaneni—amatilosi angu-600 kanye namasosha angu-400. Imikhaya yamatilosi yayihlala khona lapho emikhunjini, “[itshala] imifino no-ginger emathangini enziwe ngokhuni,” ngokusho kuka-Ibn Battuta.

Ukuphahlazeka komkhumbi kwenza ukuba u-Ibn Battuta angakwazi ukufinyelela eChina ohambweni lwakhe lombuso. Kunalokho, waqala ukusebenzela umbusi waseMaldives onguMuslim futhi waba ngowokuqala ukuchazela abantu bakwamanye amazwe ngamasiko akuleli zwe. Ekugcineni, wafika eChina. Kodwa, nakuba athola ukuthi yonke into kuleli zwe yayiyinhle, zikhona nezinto azibona ezazingqubuzana nezinkolelo zakhe. Lokho okuncane akubhala ngeChina kwenza abathile bakungabaze ukuthi walihamba ngempela leli zwe ngendlela athi walihamba ngayo. Mhlawumbe wafinyelela emachwebeni aseningizimu yeChina kuphela.

Usizi Endleleni Eya Ekhaya

Emuva eDamaseku, u-Ibn Battuta wezwa ukuthi indodana yakhe ayeyishiye eminyakeni engu-20 edlule kwase kuphele iminyaka engu-12 yashona, nokuthi uyise owayehlala eTangier, kwase kuphele iminyaka engu-15 ashona. Ngale nkathi kwase kungu-1348, futhi isifo okuthiwa i-Black Death sasihlasele iMpumalanga Ephakathi. Empeleni, u-Ibn Battuta wabika ukuthi eCairo kwakufa abantu abangu-21 000 usuku ngalunye!

Ngemva konyaka, lo mhambi wamazwe owayeseneminyaka engu-45 wafika eMorocco, wathola ukuthi unina wayebulawe yilolu bhubhane ezinyangeni ezimbalwa nje ezazandulele. Wayeneminyaka engu-21 ngesikhathi ehamba. Ingabe wayesenelisekile ngokuhamba kwakhe amazwe iminyaka engu-24? Ngokusobala akunjalo, ngoba ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho walibhekisa eSpain. Ngemva kweminyaka emithathu, wathatha uhambo lwakhe lokugcina, olwamyisa eMfuleni iNiger naseTombouctou (iTimbuktu), idolobha elisezweni lase-Afrika eselaziwa ngokuthi iMali.

Uyalwa Ukuba Abhale Umlando Wakhe

Ngemva kokuzwa ngohambo luka-Ibn Battuta, inkosi yaseFez, eMorocco, yamyala ukuba azilungiselele ukubhalela abasebukhosini umlando wakhe futhi yamnika nonobhala, u-Ibn Juzayy. Le ncwadi yomlando wakhe, ayizange isakazwe kangako ngesi-Arabhu, futhi yaze yaqala ukuhunyushelwa ezilimini zaseNtshonalanga ngemva kokuba itholwe yizazi zaseYurophu ngekhulu le-19.

U-Ibn Juzayy uthi lo mlando uyisifushaniso sazo zonke izindawo ezahanjwa u-Ibn Battuta, kodwa ngokusobala kubonakala sengathi kunezinto azikhipha ngenhloso lo nobhala. Noma kunjalo, le ncwadi yomlando isinikeza umbono wokuphila, ezohwebo, amasiko, inkolo nezombangazwe emazweni u-Ibn Battuta awavakashela, ikakhulukazi amazwe amaSulumane angenkathi ephakathi.

[Isithombe ekhasini 14]

Umfanekiso owadwetshwa u-al-Wasiti ngekhulu le-13, obonisa abantu abathatha uhambo lwamaSulumane lokuyokhulekela ngenkathi ephakathi

[Umthombo]

Scala/White Images/Art Resource, NY

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Ibalazwe laseCatalan lango-1375, elibonisa ingxenye yendawo eyahanjwa u-Ibn Battuta

[Umthombo]

Snark/Art Resource, NY