AMENEWA ndi mawu omwe ankapezeka pachikalata cha ku Spain. M’zaka za m’ma 1500 C.E., asilikali a ku Spain ankawerenga chikalatachi mokweza akafuna kumenya nkhondo komanso kulanda mudzi womwe uli m’dera la dziko la America.

Kodi cholinga cha chikalatachi chinali chiyani kwenikweni ndipo n’chifukwa chiyani asilikaliwa ankawerenga chikalatachi akafika pamudzi?

Munthu wina dzina lake Columbus, atangofika m’dziko la America, mu 1492, mayiko a Spain ndi Portugal anayamba kukanganirana dziko la America. Chifukwa chakuti mayiko awiriwa ankaona kuti papa ndi amene amaimira Khristu padziko lapansi, anamuitanitsa kuti athetse mkanganowo. Papayo analamula kuti madera ena a dziko la America agawidwe ku dziko la Spain ndipo ena ku dziko la Portugal. Koma anawalamula kuti atumize amishonale kuti akakamize anthu a m’madera amene aziwalamulirawo kulowa Chikatolika.

Chifukwa chokhulupirira kuti papa ndi mtumiki wa Mulungu, dziko la Spain linkaona kuti lili ndi ufulu wopha anthu onse m’dera limene linkalamuliralo. Ankaonanso kuti palibe vuto kuwononga katundu wawo ndipo ankaona kuti anthuwo alibe ufulu uliwonse.

Dziko la Spain linalemba chikalata chodziwitsa anthu a m’midzi ya ku America zimene papa analamula. Chikalatacho chinkasonyeza kuti anthuwo ankayenera kulowa Chikatolika komanso kuvomera kuti azilamuliridwa ndi mfumu ya ku Spain.  Akakana, asilikali a ku Spain ankamenyana nawo ndipo ankaona kuti Mulungu akuwadalitsa akamachita zimenezo.

Asilikali a ku Spain asanayambe nkhondo ankawerenga kaye chikalata chija n’cholinga choti akamamenya nkhondoyo asamadziimbe mlandu. Komanso ankachita zimenezi n’cholinga choti dziko la Spain lisadziimbe mlandu likamachitira nkhanza anthu omwe akana kumvera. Iwo ankawerenga chikalatachi asanatsike sitima ndipo nthawi zina ankawerengera anthu omwe sankadziwa zilankhulo za ku Ulaya. Nthawi zina akafika pamudzi n’kupeza kuti anthu onse athawa ankawerengabe chikalatacho.

Chikalatachi chinaphetsa anthu ambiri. Mwachitsanzo, anthu pafupifupi 2,000 a mtundu wa Araucania anaphedwa pa nkhondo yomwe inachitika ku Chile mu 1550, ndipo anthu ena anavulazidwa. Ponena za anthu amenewa, msilikali wa ku Spain, dzina lake Pedro de Valdivia, anauza mfumu kuti: “Anthu 200 adulidwa manja ndi mphuno chifukwa chokana kumvera zimene munalamula m’chikalata chija. Iwo akhala akukana kumvera ngakhale kuti ndakhala ndikutumiza anthu ambirimbiri kuti azikawawerengera chikalatacho.” *

Chikalatachi sichinathandize anthu kulowa Chikatolika. Mmishonale yemwe anakhalako m’zaka za m’ma 1500, dzina lake Bartolomé de las Casas, yemwe anaona nkhanza zimene zinkachitika chifukwa cha chikalatacho, ananena kuti: “Chikalatachi chinkachititsa kuti anthu azichita zinthu zoipa kwambiri, zankhanza, zopanda chilungamo komanso zopondereza anzawo. Zimenezi zinaipitsa mbiri ya chipembedzo cha Chikatolika.” Munthu wina wolemba nkhani, dzina lake Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo, ananena kuti nkhanza zimene anthu a ku America anakumana nazo zinapangitsa anthu kuganiza kuti Chikhristu n’choipa.

Kodi tinganene kuti Mulungu ndi amene anachititsa nkhanza zimenezi chifukwa chakuti anthu ankanena kuti akuzichita m’dzina lake? Baibulo limanena kuti: “Mulungu woona sangachite zoipa m’pang’ono pomwe, ndipo Wamphamvuyonse sangachite zinthu zopanda chilungamo ngakhale pang’ono.”—Yobu 34:10.