Little Kourosh, in the shade of the ancient and fruitful tree of Behistun, sat beside the wise shepherd Mithradates, listening to his sagacious words. The cool mountain breeze caressed his cheeks, and the gentle sound of the sheep grazing in the distance mingled with the whispers of nature. Mithradates's words about the forced migrations of his ancestors, who were compelled to leave their homes due to the pressure of the land and a scarcity of resources, sent Kourosh's mind on a journey into the depths of history and modern science. He recalled a passionate debate at the University of Tehran, where Dr. Mehrdad Malekzadeh, the distinguished archaeologist and researcher, had spoken with fervor about the concept of "environmental pull." This concept, rooted in the fragile balance between humans and nature, now, in Kourosh's mind, shone like a brilliant light, illuminating the path for the future of his empire.
Dr. Malekzadeh, in that scientific debate, referring to the legend of the lemmings of Northern Europe, had explained how a distorted story had misled public understanding of the behavior of these creatures. Kourosh vividly remembered his words: "The myth of the mass suicide of lemmings was a creation of the media mind, which sacrificed truth to dramatize reality. In Disney's 1958 documentary 'White Wilderness,' they herded the lemmings towards a cliff to create a fake scene of suicide." This false imagery had remained in people's minds for years, but the truth was far different and deeper.
Malekzadeh had gone on to explain that lemmings, in their natural cycles, face population growth and a decline in food resources. "When the vegetation on the island in Northern Europe can no longer sustain their growing population, the lemmings move towards the island's coastal borders, which are high cliffs. Eventually, by sniffing the air, they know that food can be found on the lands across the water, but they are unable to swim. In the end, due to the pressure of the population behind them, they fall from the cliffs and drown, not from suicide, but from exhaustion or strong water currents." He had emphasized: "These deaths are part of their struggle for survival, not a self-willed end to life." Kourosh, in the silence of Behistun, repeated these words in his mind and thought about their similarity to Mithradates's stories about the migration of his ancestors. He realized that humans, too, like lemmings, are forced into an involuntary dance by environmental pressures; a dance that sometimes leads to migration, sometimes to war, and sometimes to the collapse of civilizations.
Dr. Malekzadeh had then linked this concept to human history. He had spoken of the migrations of the Arabs from the deserts of Hejaz who, due to drought and lack of resources, were driven towards more fertile lands. "These migrations, especially the last of them which led to the Islamic conquests, were influenced not only by religious motives but also by environmental pressures. The Arabs, for their survival, needed lands with more resources." Kourosh remembered how Malekzadeh had pointed to the plains of Mongolia and Turkmenistan, where climate change and resource limitations drove peoples towards great and sometimes devastating migrations. The invasion of Genghis Khan was one of the most prominent examples of this "dance of the lemmings" on a human scale; a people who, from the pressure of the land and lack of resources, moved towards prosperous lands and changed history. Kourosh realized at this moment that this pattern was a key to understanding the past and building the future.
He knew from history that famines and resource shortages had brought great civilizations to their knees time and again, leading to rebellions and collapses. If his Achaemenid empire was to last for a thousand years, it had to prevent this "environmental pull." In his mind, Kourosh envisioned flourishing cities, green fields, and a well-fed and contented populace that no longer needed to resort to forced migration or war for resources. He decided to compile his book on agriculture with this goal in mind: a comprehensive guide that, by utilizing modern knowledge, would increase food production and prevent food crises. This book was destined to start a green revolution in the soil of Persia.
In the solitude of Behistun, Kourosh continued to reflect on the words of Mithradates and Malekzadeh. He remembered how Mithradates had spoken of the balance between agriculture and pastoralism; a method his ancestors had used to overcome the wrath of nature. Kourosh linked this indigenous wisdom with modern agricultural knowledge. He remembered from his classes in the twenty-first century that techniques such as crop rotation, drip irrigation using perforated pottery, and the optimal use of natural fertilizers like compost and animal manure could significantly increase food production. He also remembered how the qanat systems in ancient Iran brought water from the heart of the mountains to the dry plains, bringing life to arid regions.
Kourosh decided to compile this knowledge in his book on agriculture in a simple and practical language, so that the farmers of Persia could produce sustainable and abundant crops using the available resources. He thought about the importance of water resource management, planting drought-resistant crops, and raising livestock in modern ways. This book would be a guide not only for Persia but for all the lands of his future empire, and could ensure food security throughout the realm. In his mind, he envisioned a future where no one suffered from hunger and no tribe was forced to leave its home. This agricultural revolution was the main pillar of his thousand-year empire; a pillar built on the foundations of wisdom, knowledge, and respect for nature, and it would immortalize the name of Kourosh not only as a conqueror but also as a builder and a preserver of life.