U-1492—Akuwona Nje Unyaka Okwatholwa Ngawo Okuthile
KUNGANI u-1492 uwunyaka obaluleke kangaka emlandweni wesintu? Ngokuvamile ukhunjulwa njengonyaka uChristopher Columbus athatha ngawo uhambo ngomkhumbi esuka eSpain ukuze ayothola iZwe Elisha entshonalanga. Nokho, encwadini yakhe ethi The Conquest of Paradise, uKirkpatrick Sale ukhumbula futhi lonyaka ngenxa yezinye izizathu. Uyabhala:
“Ngo-August 2, 1492, usuku olwandulela uhambo lukaColón [uColumbus] ngomkhumbi esuka ePalos [Huelva, eSpain], kwafika usuku lwamanqamu lokuxoshwa kwawo wonke amaJuda ayehlala eSpain. Ngokwesiyalezo senkosi . . . , wonke amaJuda, kungakhathaliseki ubudala noma isizinda noma isikhundla, kwakumelwe axoshwe ngokuphazima kweso. Ukulinganisela okungcono kakhulu okokuthi abantu abangu-120 000 kuya kwabangu-150 000 baphoqelelwa ukuba babaleke emakhaya nasemazweni imikhaya yabo yayisihlale kuwo iminyaka eminingi, kwezinye izimo amakhulu eminyaka, futhi bahambe nje nezinto zabo ezincane abazidinga kakhulu—nokho, hhayi igolide labo, isiliva, izinto ezingamagugu, noma imali, okwakufanele kushiyelwe umbuso [wamaKatolika] kanye namanxusa awo.”
Encwadini kaSale, lowonyaka uqoshwe phansi ezincwadini emlandweni ngenxa yesinye isenzakalo esenyanyekayo:
“Ngobusuku bangoAugust 10, 1492, esekelwa amandla nemali kaFerdinand waseAragon, uRodrigo de Borja, ilungu lomkhaya owaziwayo wakwaBorgia eSpain, wafumbathisa, wasongela, waphikisa, futhi waphamba ukuze akwazi ukuphumelela ukuba abe umbhishobhi omkhulu, uMfundisi kaKristu kanye noPapa weSonto laseRoma, ethatha igama likapapa elithi Alexander VI. Naphezu kwezifungo zayo ezingcwele, lendoda eyayicebile futhi ekuphila kwayo kwakusezingeni eliphezulu, yayinguyise wenani labantwana abangaziwa ababeseCastile naseRoma, kuhlanganise noCesare noLucrezia, . . . futhi ngisho nasesikhathini sakhe wayebhekwa njengowuphawu lwesimiso sopapa ngalesosikhathi esase sisengxenyeni yokugcina yokuwohloka kwaso okwase kuthathe ikhulu leminyaka. Lesimiso sakhe sobupapa saphawulwa . . . ukudayiswa obala kwezikhundla zesonto ezizuzisayo esigungwini sakhe esingcwele esasicebe kakhulu futhi singesonakele kunazo zonke, futhi ngobuqili bakhe siqu esikhundleni, kuhlanganise nokufumbathisa, izivumelwano zokuziphatha okubi kobulili, izifebe ayehlala nazo, kanye nezincwadi ezazifundwa zokungcola ezazithathwa emtatsheni kapapa.”—The Conquest of Paradise, amakhasi 13, 16.