Ochwepheshe Benkathi Ephakathi Besayensi Yezinkanyezi

KUWO wonke umlando, abantu bebelokhu bekhexa lapho bebuka ilanga, inyanga nezinkanyezi. Ngokucwaninga indawo ezikuyo nangokuhamba kwalezi zindikimba zasemkhathini, umuntu uye wakwazi ukubala izinsuku, izinyanga neminyaka.

Ama-Arabhu ayengabanye babantu abaningi ababecwaninga ngesibhakabhaka ebusuku. Inkathi yokuchuma kwesayensi eMpumalanga Ephakathi yaqala ngekhulu lesi-9 C.E., futhi izazi zezinkanyezi ezingama-Arabhu zangaleso sikhathi zazibhekwa njengochwepheshe besayensi yezinkanyezi. Abakufeza kwaba nendima ebaluleke kakhulu ekuthuthukeni kwale sayensi ethakazelisayo. Ake sibone ukuthi kanjani.

Izingqalabutho Kuyisayensi Yezinkanyezi

Ngekhulu lesi-7 nelesi-8 C.E., ubu-Islam basabalala baya entshonalanga busuka e-Arabhiya badlulela eNyakatho ye-Afrika baze bayofika eSpain nasempumalanga kuze kuyofika e-Afghanistan. Izazi kule ndawo enkulukazi zancela ocwaningweni olwalwenziwe abasePheresiya nabaseGrisi, nabo ababethonywe kakhulu iBhabhiloni neGibhithe.

Kwabe sekuthi ngekhulu lesi-9, izincwadi ezibalulekile zesayensi zahunyushelwa olimini lwesi-Arabhu, kuhlanganise nezesazi sesayensi yezinkanyezi esingumGreki uPtolemy.a Ababusi bamaSulumane (Abbasid), ababebusa kusukela e-Afghanistan kuya olwandle i-Atlantic, bathola imibhalo yolimi lwesiSanskrit eNdiya eyayiqukethe ukwaziswa okuningi okuphathelene nezibalo, isayensi yezinkanyezi neminye imikhakha yesayensi.

AmaSulumane ayelwazisa ulwazi lwesayensi yezinkanyezi. Kungani? Esinye isizathu sihlobene nokukhulekela kwawo. AmaSulumane akholelwa ukuthi kufanele abheke ngaseMecca uma ethandaza, futhi izazi zezinkanyezi zazikwazi ukukhomba lapho iMecca ingakhona kungakhathaliseki ukuthi zikuphi. Ngekhulu le-13, amanye amathempeli ayeqasha isazi sezinkanyezi noma i-muwaqqit, esasisiza abakhulekeli ukuba bathandaze ngendlela eyayibhekwa njengefanele. Ngokolwazi ezaziluqongelele, izazi zezinkanyezi zazikwazi nokusho izinsuku zezenzakalo zenkolo nemikhuba yayo, njengesikhathi sokuzila ukudla phakathi nenyanga ka-Ramadan. Ngaphezu kwalokho, zazingasiza izihambeli zenkolo eziya eMecca ukuba zithole ukuthi uhambo lwazo luzoba lude kangakanani bese zihlela umzila ofanele.

Ukusekelwa Uhulumeni Ngokwezimali

Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu lesi-9, isayensi yezinkanyezi eBaghdad yase iyingxenye yezifundo zabo bonke abafundi. Umbusi wamaSulumane u-al-Ma’mūn, wasungula isikhungo sokubuka emkhathini kule ndawo kanye nesinye eduze kwaseDamaseku. Ithimba lakhe lezazi zokuma kwendawo nezazi zezibalo zazihlaziya, ziqhathanisa futhi zizama ukuthola imbangela yomehluko ekwazisweni ezazikuthole ezifundweni zesayensi yezinkanyezi zasePheresiya, eNdiya naseGrisi. Izikhungo zokubuka emkhathini zakhiwa nakwamanye amadolobha amaningana aseMpumalanga Ephakathi.b

Izazi ezazisebenza kulezo zikhungo zathola imiphumela ephawulekayo yosuku lwazo. Ngokwesibonelo, emuva ngo-1031, u-Abu Rayhan al-Bīrūnī wachaza ukuthi kungenzeka amaplanethi azungeza emzileni omise okweqanda kunokuba ube yindilinga.

Ukulinganisa Ubukhulu Bomhlaba

Ukwanda kobuSulumane kwakhuthaza ukwenziwa kwamabalazwe nezimiso zokuthungatha umzila. Abaklami bamabalazwe babelwela ukunemba ngangokunokwenzeka ezilinganisweni zabo futhi babevame ukuphumelela. Ezimisele ukunemba nokuthola amabanga ebalazwe lomhlaba ukusuka enkabazwe uya enyakatho ubuye uye eningizimu, umbusi u-al-Ma’mūn wathumela amaqembu amabili abahloli bokuma kwendawo ogwadule lwaseSiriya. Ehlome ngamathuluzi okuthola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini, izinduku zokulinganisa nezintambo, la maqembu afulathelana ahamba ngokuhlukana kwaze kwaba yilapho ephawula ushintsho oluyi-degree elilodwa ekuphakameni kweNkanyezi yaseNyakatho. Babe sebephetha ngokuthi ibanga abalihambile lilingana ne-degree elilodwa lebanga ukusuka enkabazwe (latitude) noma ama-degree angu-1/360 ebanga lokuzungeza umhlaba. Lapho bebala, bathola ukuthi ubukhulu bomhlaba ukusuka enyakatho ukuya eningizimu bungamakhilomitha angu-37 369—ibanga elisondele kakhulu kwelinembile elingamakhilomitha angu-40- 008!

Izikhungo zokubuka emkhathini eziseMpumalanga Ephakathi zinezinhlobonhlobo zemishini emangalisayo neyinkimbinkimbi—amathuluzi okuthola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini, ithuluzi lokulinganisa ama-engela (quadrant), umshini wokuhlola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinkanyezi (sextant), ithuluzi elikala isikhathi ngokuma kwethunzi (sundial) namanye amathuluzi ayesetshenziselwa ukucwaninga nokuhlola izindikimba zasezulwini. Amanye alamathuluzi ayemakhulu kakhulu. Abaklami bawo babecabanga ukuthi uma ithuluzi lilikhulu, liyonemba kakhudlwana.

Ifa Elashiywa Izazi Zezinkanyezi Zenkathi Ephakathi

Okwafezwa yilabo chwepheshe benkathi ephakathi besayensi yezinkanyezi kuyamangalisa. Betha imilaza amagama futhi benza imidwebo yayo, betha izinkanyezi, baklama amakhalenda anembe kakhudlwana, balinganisa ukusithwa kwelanga yinyanga futhi baqhubeka belungisa ishadi elichaza ukuhamba kwezinkanyezi. Babekwazi ukusho indawo ilanga elikuyo, inyanga namanye amaplanethi amahlanu abonakalayo nganoma isiphi isikhathi sosuku noma sobusuku—into eyayiwusizo kakhulu ekutholeni umzila. Babekwazi nokusho isikhathi nokugcina ikhalenda elinembile ngokubheka izindikimba zasezulwini.

Incazelo eyeza nezazi zezinkanyezi ezikhuluma isi-Arabhu mayelana nokuhamba kwamaplanethi yacishe yakusombulula ukungavumelani okutholakala emfanekisweni kaPtolemy wendawo ebonakalayo. Ababengakuqondi ukuthi, amaplanethi azungeza ilanga, hhayi umhlaba. Noma kunjalo, lezi zazi zenza ishadi elichaza ukuhamba kwezinkanyezi ngendlela enembe kunazo zonke ezazike zasetshenziswa futhi izinto ezazithola zaba usizo olumangalisayo ezizukulwaneni zezazi zezinkanyezi ezalandela.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 17]

Izazi zezinkanyezi zagcina amarekhodi achaza ukuhamba kwamaplanethi ezincwadini zonyaka ezazisakazeka kuwo wonke amazwe amaSulumane

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 19]

“I-COMPUTER ENCANE” YASENDULO

Ithuluzi lokuthola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini (astrolabe), elandulela umshini wokuhlola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini (sextant), liye labizwa ngokuthi “ithuluzi lesayensi yezinkanyezi elibaluleke kakhulu langaphambi kwesibonakude.” Ososayensi bangenkathi ephakathi eMpumalanga Ephakathi babesebenzisa leli thuluzi ukuze baxazulule izinkinga ezihlobene nesikhathi kanye nendawo izindikimba zasezulwini ezikuyo.

Leli thuluzi lalinomfanekiso omuhle wesibhakabhaka oqoshwe ocwecweni lwensimbi olubushelelezi. Ngaphansi engxenyeni engaphandle okwakufakwe kuyo ucwecwe, kwakuqoshwe ama-degree ama-engela noma ngezinye izikhathi amahora osuku. Uthi olujikelezayo (alidade) lwalusetshenziselwa ukubala amabanga ukuze kutholakale ukuphakama kwenkanyezi ngokuphakamisa leli thuluzi bese lilenga ngebanga elilingana nobude bengalo. Imiphumela babeyifunda kulo mshini wokulinganisa, ofana nowokubala okuthiwa i-slide rule.

Leli thuluzi lokuthola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini elalenza imisebenzi ehlukahlukene lalisiza labo ababelisebenzisa ukuba bakwazi ukuthola izinkanyezi ezithile, ukusho kusengaphambili ukuthi ilanga lizophuma futhi lishone nini, ukuthola ukuthi iMecca ingakuphi, ukuhlola indawo, ukulinganisa ubude bezinto nokuthungatha umzila. “Kwakuyi-computer encane” yosuku lwayo.

[Izithombe]

Ithuluzi lokuthola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini langekhulu le-13

Ithuluzi lokuthola ibanga eliphakathi kwezinto ezisemkhathini, i-quadrant yangekhulu le-14

[Imithombo]

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

[Isithombe ekhasini 16]

Umfanekiso wangekhulu le-16 obonisa izazi zezinkanyezi zaseTurkey zisebenzisa izindlela zokuhlola ezasungulwa izazi ezingama-Arabhu

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Izindikimba zasemkhathini ngo-1285 C.E.

[Isithombe ekhasini 18]

Amakhasi athathwe embhalweni wesandla wezincwadi zonyaka zama-Arabhu, owabhalwa isazi sezinkanyezi u-‘Abd al-Rahmān al-Sufi, cishe ngo-965 C.E.

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 17]

Pages 16 and 17: Art Resource, NY

[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 18]

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