The History of Buddhism spans the 6th century BCE to the present, starting with the birth of Buddha Siddhartha Gautama on the Indian subcontinent, in what is now Lumbini, Nepal. This makes it one of the oldest religions practiced today. The religion evolved as it spread from the northeastern region of the Indian subcontinent through Central, East, and Southeast Asia. At one time or another, it influenced most of the Asian continent. The history of Buddhism is also characterized by the development of numerous movements, schisms, and schools, among them the Theravāda, Mahāyāna and Vajrayāna traditions, with contrasting periods of expansion and retreat.
Read more about History Of Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama, Early Buddhism, Aśokan Proselytism (c. 261 BCE), Rise of The Sunga (2nd–1st Century BCE), Greco-Buddhist Interaction (2nd Century BCE–1st Century CE), Rise of Mahāyāna (1st Century BCE–2nd Century CE), Mahāyāna Expansion (1st Century CE–10th Century CE), Emergence of The Vajrayāna (5th Century), Theravāda Renaissance (11th Century CE— ), Expansion of Buddhism To The West
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