Siddhartha Gautama

Scholar & Thinker

(563 BCE – Unknown) · South Asia

Spiritual teacher from ancient South Asia whose teachings on suffering, impermanence, and liberation gave rise to Buddhism, one of the world's major religions. Born a prince in the Shakya clan in present-day Nepal, he renounced wealth to seek enlightenment and spent decades teaching across northern India. His core teachings are preserved in the Pali Canon.