Samuel Ajayi Crowther

Samuel Crowther, (  - 31 Disamba 1891),masanin harsunan Yarbawa ne,limami,kuma bishop na Anglican na farko na Afirka ta Yamma.An haife shi a Osogun(a yanzu Ado-Awaye,Jihar Oyo,Najeriya),shi da iyalinsa barayin.. bauta sun kama shi yana dan shekara goma sha biyu.Wannan ya faru ne a lokacin yakin basasar Yarabawa,musamman yakin Owu na 1821-1829,inda aka yi wa kauyensa Osogun hari.Daga baya aka sake siyar da Ajayi ga dillalan bayi na Portugal,inda aka saka shi a cikin jirgin don a kai shi Sabuwar Duniya ta Tekun Atlantika.

Rundunar Sojin Ruwa ta Yammacin Afirka ta Squadron ta kubutar da Crowther daga bauta a wata tashar ruwa da ke bakin teku,wanda ke tilasta wa Burtaniya takunkumi kan cinikin bayi na Atlantic.An sake tsugunar da mutanen da aka 'yantar a Saliyo.A Saliyo,Ajayi ya karɓi sunan Ingilishi na Samuel Crowther,kuma ya fara karatunsa da Ingilishi.Ya karɓi addinin Kiristanci kuma ya danganta shi da ƙabilar Krio da ke hawan Saliyo a lokacin.Ya karanci harsuna kuma an nada shi minista a Ingila,inda daga baya ya sami digiri na uku a jami'ar Oxford.Ya shirya nahawun Yarbanci da fassarar Littafin Anglican na Addu'a gama gari zuwa Yarabanci,kuma yana aiki a kan fassarar Littafi Mai Tsarki na Yarbanci,da kuma sauran ayyukan harshe.

 Tarihin Rayuwa 
Wani jikan Sarki Abiodun, ta hannun mahaifiyarsa,Afala,Ajayi yana da kimanin shekara 12 a duniya lokacin da Fulani masu kai hari suka kama shi da iyalinsa,tare da daukacin kauyensa,a hannun wasu bayin Allah a watan Maris 1821 kuma suka sayar wa 'yan kasuwar bayi na kasar Portugal .Mahaifiyarsa Afala,wadda daga baya ta yi baftisma da sunan Hannatu,da ƙanensa,da sauran danginsa suna cikin waɗanda aka kama.Wataƙila an kashe mahaifinsa Ayemi a harin da aka kai ƙauyensa ko kuma jim kaɗan bayan haka.

Birtaniya ta haramta cinikin bayin Atlantika a shekara ta 1807 kuma sun yi amfani da sojojin ruwansu wajen sintiri a gabar tekun Afirka.A wannan lokacin, Spain da Portugal har yanzu sun yarda da cinikin bayi na Atlantic a yankunansu na Amurka.Kafin jirgin bawa ya bar tashar jiragen ruwa zuwa Amurka, ma'aikatan jirgin ruwa na Royal Navy na Burtaniya ne suka hau shi karkashin jagorancin Kyaftin Henry Leeke.Sun 'yantar da mutanen da aka kama kuma suka tafi da Ajayi da iyalinsa zuwa Freetown,Saliyo,inda hukumomin yankin suka sake tsugunar da su.

Sa’ad da yake Saliyo,Crowther ya sami kulawa daga Ƙungiyar Mishan na Cocin Anglican (CMS) kuma an koyar da shi Turanci.Saboda kyawawan halayensa na ilimi, Ajayi ya kai shi makaranta,kuma cikin ɗan lokaci kaɗan,ya sami damar karanta Littafi Mai Tsarki cikin sauƙi.Ya koma Kiristanci.A ranar 11 ga Disamba 1825 John Raban ya yi masa baftisma,yana mai suna Samuel Crowther,mataimakin Cocin Christ,Newgate,London,kuma ɗaya daga cikin majagaba na CMS.
Yayin da yake Freetown,Crowther ya zama mai sha'awar harsuna. A cikin 1826 an kai shi Ingila don halartar makarantar St Mary's Church  a Islington,wacce ta kafa alaƙa da 'yan Afirka masu 'yanci a ƙarni na 18.Ya koma Freetown a 1827.Shi ne ɗalibi na farko da aka shigar da shi a sabuwar Kwalejin Fourah Bay da aka buɗe,makarantar mishan na Anglican.Saboda sha'awar harshe,ya yi karatun Latin da Girkanci na tsarin karatun gargajiya,amma kuma Temne na Afirka ta Yamma.Bayan ya kammala karatunsa,Crowther ya fara koyarwa a makarantar.

Tafiya ta mishan ta Crowther zuwa ƙasar Yarbawa ( Najeriya ta yau)ta fara a 1841.Ya wakilci sashin mishan na Balaguron Neja,tare da Rev.JF Schon .An nada Crowther a matsayin firist kuma an zaɓi shi don aikin CMS a cikin aikin Yarbawa a ziyararsa ta biyu zuwa Ingila a 1843,bayan ƙwaƙƙwaran bayanin balaguron da kuma halayen da ba safai ya nuna ba.A cikin 1846,Crowther da Rev.Townsend ya bude aikin CMS a Abeokuta.A lokacin balaguron Neja a shekarar 1854,Crowther ya taka rawa wajen kafa mishan a Nijar.

 Aure da iyali 
Crowther ya auri wata yar makaranta,Asano (watau Hassana; ta kasance musulma),ta yi wa Susan baftisma.An kuma 'yantar da ita daga jirgin bawa na Portugal kamar yadda aka ambata a cikin wasiƙar Crowther ta 1837.Ya rubuta cewa: " Jirgin Mai Martaba Mai Martaba Bann,Kyaftin Charles Phillips,ya kama ta a ranar 31 ga Oktoba 1822." Saboda haka Asano yana cikin wadanda aka sake tsugunar da su a Saliyo.Ta kuma koma Kiristanci.'Ya'yansu da yawa sun hada da Dandeson Coates Crowther,wanda daga baya ya shiga hidima kuma a cikin 1891 ya zama babban diyakon Neja Delta. 

'Yar su ta biyu, Abigail,ta auri Thomas Babington Macaulay,ƙaramin abokin tarayya.  Dan su kuma jikan Crowther,Herbert Macaulay,ya zama daya daga cikin masu kishin kasa na Najeriya na farko.

 Manufar 
An zaɓi Crowther don ya raka James Schön ɗan mishan a balaguron Nijar na 1841 .Tare da Schön,ana sa ran zai koyi Hausa don amfani da shi wajen balaguro.Manufarta ita ce ta ƙarfafa kasuwanci,koyar da dabarun noma,ƙarfafa Kiristanci,da kuma taimakawa wajen kawo ƙarshen cinikin bayi.Bayan balaguron,an sake kiran Crowther zuwa Ingila,inda aka horar da shi a matsayin minista kuma Bishop na London ya nada shi.Schön ya rubuta wa Ƙungiyar Mishan ta Ikilisiya yana lura da amfani da ikon Crowther akan balaguron,yana ba da shawarar cewa ya kasance cikin shiri don naɗa .

Crowther ya koma Afirka a cikin 1843 kuma,tare da Henry Townsend,ya buɗe wata manufa a Abeokuta,a jihar Ogun ta Najeriya a yau.

Crowther ya fara fassara Littafi Mai Tsarki zuwa Yarabanci kuma ya haɗa ƙamus na Yarbanci. A cikin 1843,an buga littafinsa na nahawu,wanda ya fara aiki a kansa lokacin balaguron Nijar.Harshen Yarbanci na Littafin Anglican na Addu'a gama gari ya biyo baya.Crowther kuma ya tattara ƙamus na harshen Yarbanci,gami da adadin karin magana na cikin gida,wanda aka buga a London a cikin 1852.

Ya kuma fara tsara wasu harsuna.Bayan balaguron Neja na Biritaniya na 1854 da 1857, Crowther,wanda wani matashin ɗan Igbo mai fassara mai suna Simon Jonas ya taimaka,ya samar da jigon harshen Igbo a 1857.Ya buga ɗaya don harshen Nupe a 1860,da cikakken nahawu da ƙamus na Nupe a 1864.

 Manazarta