UKUSETSHENZISWA kwemishini ezilawulayo sekuyinto ehamba phambili ezimbonini—ikakhulu ekwenzeni imisebenzi ephindaphinda inqubo efanayo. Kodwa yaqala nini ukusetshenziswa imishini ehlelwe ngendlela yokuba izilawule? Ingabe yaqala eminyakeni engamashumi ambalwa edlule ngenkathi yezinguquko kwezezimboni eYurophu? Kungase kukumangaze ukuzwa ukuthi imishini ekwazi ukuzilawula yasungulwa kudala kakhulu kunalokho.

Phakathi nengxenye yokuqala yenkathi eyaziwa ngokuthi inkathi yokuchuma yesayensi yamaSulumane, kusukela ngekhulu lesi-8 kuya kwele-13 C.E. nangemva kwalokho, izazi zaseMpumalanga Ephakathi zahumushela olimini lwesi-Arabhu izincwadi zesayensi nezefilosofi ezaziqukethe imisebenzi yamaGreki adumile njengo-Archimedes, u-Aristotle, uCtesibius, uHero wase-Alexandria noPhilo waseByzantium. * Unale mithombo yolwazi neminye, uMbuso WamaSulumane—owawusuka eSpain unqamule eNyakatho ye-Afrika naseMpumalanga Ephakathi kuya e-Afghanistan—wawuhlome ngolwazi olwawenza wakwazi ukuklama imishini ekwazi ukuzilawula.

Isazimlando sezobuchwepheshe uDonald Hill sithi, leyo mishini yayikwazi “ukuqhubeka isebenza isikhathi eside—amahora, izinsuku noma ngisho nangaphezulu—ngaphandle kokuqondiswa umuntu.” Kungani? Onjiniyela babesungule isimiso sokuyilawula esiphumelelayo esayenza yakwazi ukuzilawula. Le mishini yayisebenzisa amanzi aphuma emathangini asendaweni ephakeme ukuze iqhubeke ithola amandla. Kwakunesimiso esizilawulayo esivula ama-valve futhi siwavale noma sishintshe umzila wokugeleza kwamanzi. Le mishini yayibuye ibe nesimiso esiyitshelayo ukuthi sekufanele yenzeni, kuhlanganise nalokho uHill akubiza ngokuthi “uhlobo lwakuqala lobuchwepheshe bokuphepha.” Cabangela ezinye izibonelo.

Ama-Banu Musa amathathu—okuyigama lesi-Arabhu elisho “amadodana kaMusa”—ayehlala eBaghdad ngekhulu lesi-9. Ancela ulwazi emisebenzini yabantu abawandulela bangenkathi yokuchuma kwamaGreki oPhilo noHero, nakonjiniyela abangamaShayina, amaNdiya namaPheresiya, ukuze akhe imishini engaphezu kwekhulu. Ngokomlobi wesayensi u-Ehsan Masood, le mishini yayihlanganisa imithombo yamanzi eyayishintshashintsha indlela ekhipha ngayo amanzi, amawashi anemihlobiso ekhangayo nembiza eyayetha iziphuzo ngokuzenzekelayo futhi ibuye izigcwalise isebenzisa inhlanganisela eyenziwe ngobuhlakani yamabhola antantayo, ama-valve, namapayipi amunca amanzi. Amadodana kaMusa akha nomshini ongeyona inkimbinkimbi olingana nomuntu—okwakuthiwa “intombazane yetiye,” owawuthelela abantu itiye ngokoqobo, kanye nomshini womntshingo, “cishe ongomunye wemishini yokuqala eyayiklanywe ngendlela yokuba izenzele izinto”—kubhala isazimlando sesayensi uJim Al-Khalili.

Le mishini inokuningi efana ngakho nemishini yanamuhla. Nokho, “ngokuyinhloko yayisebenzisa amanzi anomfutho onamandla esikhundleni sobuchwepheshe bukagesi kodwa izimiso eziningi zokusebenza kwayo ziyefana,” kusho umlobi wesayensi u-Ehsan Masood.

Ngo-1206, u-Ibn al-Razzaz al-Jazari waphothula umsebenzi wakhe, ngezinye izikhathi ohunyushwa ngokuthi i-Compendium on the Theory and Practice of the Mechanical Arts. Lo msebenzi ubulokhu ubizwa ngokuthi “imfundo yokuklama imishini ngendlela ehlelekile.” Eminye imiklamo yobuchwepheshe ka-al-Jazari yayiyedlula kude leyo eyayishicilelwe amadodana kaMusa futhi izincazelo nemidwebo yakhe kwakuqukethe yonke imininingwane kangangokuthi onjiniyela banamuhla bangakwazi ukuziklama kabusha izinto aziklama.

Incwadi ka-al-Jazari ibonisa amathuluzi okukha amanzi emithonjeni ejulile, amawashi asebenza ngamanzi, amawashi angamakhandlela, isimiso sokukhipha amanzi, amarobhothi aculayo nephampu eyayiguqula ukujikeleza kwesondo kube ukunyakaza kwama-piston okuya emuva naphambili okwakudonsa amanzi ngomfutho omkhulu. Izazimlando zinika u-al-Jazari udumo ngokuklama amaphampu amanzi kusasele iminyaka engamakhulu amathathu ngaphambi kokuba abasempumalanga bawaklame.

U-al-Jazari waklama namawashi ahlekisayo, nokho ayewusizo. Leli eliboniswe lapha seliphinde lakhiwa enxanxatheleni yezitolo zaseDubai. Kuleli washi, isikhathi siboniswa yisitsha esinembobo esiphezu kwechibi lamanzi elingaphakathi esiswini sendlovu. Isitsha sigcwala amanzi ngemva kwemizuzu engu-30 bese siyazika, bese kwenzeka izinto eziningana zilandelana, ezihlanganisa ukusebenza kwezintambo nokuphuma kwamabhola “esigodlweni” esisemhlane wendlovu. Lapho lo mjikelezo othatha isigamu sehora uphela, isitsha siphinde sintante, le nqubo iqale kabusha. Lo mklamo neminye imishini ka-al-Jazari eyayikwazi ukuzenzela izinto, yiyo eyaholela ekutheni abizwe ngokuthi “ungoti ekuklameni amarobhothi.”

Indaba yokukhalipha komuntu ikushiya ubambe ongezansi ngempela! Nokho, le ndaba ayiwona nje umlando othakazelisayo. Isenza sibe nanombono ofanele. Ngesikhathi lapho abaningi beziqhayisa ngobuchwepheshe banamuhla, sikhunjuzwa ngokuthi kungakanani esakuthola emiqondweni ekhaliphile nejulile yabantu ababephila ngaphambi kwethu.