Buddhism was founded in the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent, in what is now Nepal and the surrounding areas of northern India, during roughly the 5th century BCE. It centers on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who is traditionally regarded as the historical founder. The earliest historical context places the emergence of Buddhism in the Gangetic Plain in ancient India, with Lumbini (present-day Nepal) commonly cited as the Buddha’s birthplace and Sarnath and Bodh Gaya as key sites associated with his teaching and enlightenment.

If you’d like, I can provide a concise timeline with key milestones (birth of the Buddha, postal spread along trade routes, formation of early Buddhist councils, and the later geographic expansion) or compare Buddhist origins with other Indian religious movements.