Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha
Prince of the Shakya clan who renounced his life, reached enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and preached his first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi. His dates are disputed.
| Lived | c. 563 BC – 483 BC |
| Known as | Founder of Buddhism |
| Birthplace or main place | Lumbini |
| Places on the map | Varanasi, Patna |
LumbiniSee the world of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha in the interactive map
Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha lived before the earliest border map (500 BC); the map above shows the oldest snapshot available.
Who ruled these places in his lifetime
| Place | At birth (map of 500 BC) | At death (map of 500 BC) |
|---|---|---|
| Lumbini | Kosala | same |
| Varanasi | Kasi | same |
| Patna | Hindu kingdoms | same |
From the border maps nearest to each date; borders are approximate.
Events in his lifetime
| Year | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 490 BC | Magadha builds the fort of Pataliputra | Patna |
| 528 BC | The Buddha preaches his first sermon at Sarnath (traditional date) | Varanasi |
Battles and sites of the time
- Bodh Gaya · 528 BC
Further reading
- Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha in Encyclopaedia Britannica
- Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha on Wikipedia
Contemporaries
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| 551 BC – 479 BC | Confucius | Philosopher and teacher |
| 550 BC – 486 BC | Darius I | King of Persia |
| c. 600 BC – 530 BC | Cyrus the Great | Founder of the Achaemenid Persian Empire |
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.