The 9 Unknown Men of Ashoka, The Secret Society That Has Guarded Knowledge for Over 2,000 Years

Imagine a secret so powerful that it could change the fate of the world…

What if such knowledge was hidden away not destroyed, but kept in the hands of a few chosen individuals, passed down silently from generation to generation for over two millennia?

This is not the plot of a Hollywood thriller.

It is the mystery of The Nine Unknown Men an alleged secret society founded by Emperor Ashoka of India in 273 BCE, after one of the bloodiest wars in history.

Their mission?

To protect dangerous scientific, spiritual, and technological knowledge from falling into the wrong hands and to quietly guide humanity’s progress from the shadows.

The idea is as fascinating as it is chilling. Because if this society is real, it means that history’s greatest discoveries, revolutions, and even disasters may not have been accidents at all.

The Birth of the Nine Unknown Men, After the Massacre of Kalinga

In the 3rd century BCE, Ashoka the Great, ruler of the Mauryan Empire, launched a massive military campaign against the state of Kalinga.

The war was devastating. Ancient sources say over 100,000 people were killed, and thousands more died from famine and disease that followed.

Standing on the battlefield, surrounded by death, Ashoka felt a deep transformation. He abandoned his violent ways, embraced Buddhism, and committed himself to peace.

But Ashoka was no fool. He had seen the destructive power of human knowledge the weapons, strategies, and technologies that had brought this horror. He realized that if certain knowledge spread unchecked, the world could destroy itself.

So, according to the legend, he created a secret society of nine wise men each entrusted with a single book containing vast, dangerous knowledge. These men would be chosen not for their political influence, but for their intelligence, loyalty, and discretion.

The Nine Books Guardians of Dangerous Knowledge

The Nine Unknown Men each held a book, and each book dealt with a different branch of secret knowledge. According to 19th and 20th-century accounts (like Louis Jacolliot’s The Nine Unknown and Talbot Mundy’s novel), the subjects were:

Propaganda & Psychological Warfare The art of shaping public opinion and controlling the masses.

Physiology Secrets about life and death, including methods to kill instantly or heal miraculously.

Microbiology Knowledge of viruses, bacteria, and biological weapons.

Alchemy & Transmutation of Metals Turning base metals into gold and possibly creating limitless energy.

Communication Advanced means of communication, perhaps even telepathy.

Gravity The science of controlling gravitational fields; possibly linked to anti-gravity technology.

Cosmology Secrets of space, time, and the structure of the universe.

Light The use of light as a weapon and for energy.

Sociology Detailed rules and methods for governing societies for maximum stability.

If even part of this list is true, the Nine Books contain knowledge that could change civilization overnight or destroy it.

Secrecy Through the Centuries

The Nine Unknown Men were said to operate in total secrecy.

Whenever one of them died, another suitable person was chosen to inherit his book and continue the mission.

These men were not kings or celebrities. They lived quietly, blending into society, working in science, medicine, philosophy, or art using their knowledge subtly to guide humanity without revealing themselves.

Some legends claim the Nine advised rulers, influenced wars, and even prevented catastrophes. Others believe they inspired major discoveries in mathematics, medicine, and technology long before those fields officially “developed” in history.

Historical Hints & Possible Evidence

Skeptics often say there’s no proof the Nine Unknown Men ever existed. True there are no ancient inscriptions naming them directly. But there are curious hints:

Ashoka’s Edicts: Several of Ashoka’s stone edicts speak about protecting certain knowledge from spreading, especially about weapons and war.

Advanced Ancient Technology in India: Ancient texts like the Samarangana Sutradhara describe flying machines (Vimanas) and energy weapons thousands of years before modern science.

Unexplained Discoveries: Indian metallurgists created rust-proof iron (like the famous Delhi Iron Pillar) centuries before anyone else knowledge that could have come from one of the Nine Books.

Encounters & Theories

French writer Louis Jacolliot (1837–1890) wrote about the Nine in the 19th century, claiming they existed and controlled dangerous sciences. Later, Talbot Mundy, a British author, popularized the legend in his 1923 novel The Nine Unknown.

Some theorists believe the Nine still exist today their books updated with modern discoveries, their network spanning continents.

Possible Modern-Day Connections & Conspiracies

Here’s where the story gets even more exciting and unsettling.

Medical Breakthroughs: Could certain miraculous cures or sudden medical “discoveries” be fragments of the second book’s secrets, deliberately released at the right time?

Control of Public Opinion: The first book’s propaganda techniques eerily match modern advertising, political campaigns, and social media algorithms.

Unexplained Military Leaps: Some anti-gravity experiments by military agencies sound suspiciously like the sixth book’s theories.

Global Stability: Many believe that when world politics teeter on the edge of chaos, unseen hands (perhaps guided by the ninth book) step in to prevent collapse.

And the most thrilling idea?

That some of history’s greatest minds from scientists to inventors may have been secretly chosen to join the Nine, passing the torch quietly to keep humanity’s progress steady but safe.

Why We May Never Know the Truth

If the Nine Unknown Men do exist, their entire survival depends on secrecy. Once they are exposed, they lose control of the very knowledge they guard.

That’s why this legend has persisted for over 2,000 years without a single confirmed photograph, document, or confession. Only whispers, scattered across history.

Maybe the Nine are just a beautiful myth a symbol of human wisdom and responsibility. Or maybe, even now, one of them could be living in your city, walking past you on the street, holding a book that could change the world forever.

And that’s the real mystery:

If you had such a book in your hands, would you use its knowledge to help humanity… or to rule it?