The Nine Unknown Men: A secret society created by emperor Ashoka

An underground room with men wearing hats discussing plans in code names, swirls of smoke, hidden chambers where a password is needed to enter—these are the images that flash upon our mind if we hear the term ‘secret societies.’ These societies have been a part of advanced civilizations through ages. The mist of mystery surrounding them can be linked to the very name though! While many secret organizations have existed, some have eventually came to light. Take and you may be familiar with them Illuminati for example. This secret society was formed in Europe in 1776 by a Bavarian professor named Adam Weishaupt. Well, there are many more like this through history. Today, we will share the tale of one secret society created centuries back by none other than emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire who ruled India from 268 to 232 BC. It is known as The Nine Unknown Men formed around 273 BC. But who were these nine individuals? Does it still exist, as some believe? Is this society a myth or reality? Read on to find answers to these questions.

Inception of the society
Up until the Kalinga War, fought between Ashoka and an independent feudal kingdom located on the east coast around the 3^rd century BC, the emperor was a ruthless ruler. After the Kalinga battle was won at the cost of over 1,00,000 lives, Ashoka turned to Buddhism and realized that knowledge is power. He felt that ancient India had immense knowledge and wisdom and it should be preserved. The knowledge can be used for great deeds but can also prove to be dreadful if it reached the wrong hands, he understood. So, he gathered nine of India's brightest brains of the time to form the secret club, The Nine Unknown Men.

What did those men actually do?
These Nine Unknown Men, it is believed, were experts in a variety of subjects like alchemy, cosmology, communication, gravity, light, microbiology, propaganda, physiology, and sociology. They are said to have impacted social, political, economic, and scientific events of the time. Records suggest that Ashoka instructed his nine unidentified soldiers to maintain their secrecy. If a member passed away, became ill, or for any other reason was unable to continue, a deserving member would be chosen to take his place as the successor, and the society would carry on as usual with exactly nine members present at all times. The reference of this society was found in the book named The Nine Unknown Men published by English author Talbot Mundy in 1923. Interestingly, he found nine books penned by these nine men. Here are they

Physiology: Physiology was covered in this book, along with a demonstration of The Touch of Death, a method for killing someone with a touch that involves reversing a nerve impulse. People believe that leaked knowledge from this book gave birth to Judo martial art.
Communication: The book covered communication techniques between creatures from Earth and aliens. It seems that the Nine Unknown were aware of aliens.
Gravity: The book had comprehensive instructions on how to build the Vedic Vimana, or just an aircraft, and the secrets of gravity.
Microbiology: The book included knowledge on microbiology and biotechnology.
Propaganda: This book elaborated propaganda and psychological warfare tactics.
Cosmology: The study of the universe was the theme of this book.
Alchemy: This book was concerned with metal transmutation and alchemy. It is believed that experts of this book knew the conversion of any metal to gold.
Light: This book dealt with properties of light, such as its speed and ways to utilize it as a weapon.
Sociology: The book provided guidelines for society’s progress and ways to foresee its destruction.

Myth or fact?
It is difficult to imagine that an ancient society has continued to exist in secrecy for more than 2000 years, influencing global events from the deep jungles of India, with no infrastructure, technology, or equipment. So it's up to us to decide whether the current existence of the society is a myth or fact.