Buddhism was founded by the Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, a contemporary of Mahavira in ancient India.
Gautama lived and taught in the eastern Indo-Gangetic plain, probably during the fifth century BCE, although the exact dates remain debated. Buddhist tradition says he was born at Lumbini, left his privileged life, attained awakening at Bodh Gaya, and began teaching after his enlightenment. His first sermon at Sarnath presented the Middle Way, the Four Noble Truths, and the Noble Eightfold Path.
Buddhism emerged alongside other śramaṇa movements that questioned Vedic ritual authority and hereditary religious status. Mahavira, the major teacher of Jainism, belonged to the same broad period, but Jainism and Buddhism are separate religions with different teachings and monastic traditions.
A common mix-up is treating “Buddha” as a personal name. It is a title meaning “Awakened One”; the founder is usually identified as Siddhartha Gautama. Buddhism later developed into major traditions including Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, and spread widely across Asia.