Buddhism can be traced back to the 5th and 6th centuries B.C. in India, where Siddhartha Gautama founded it. Historians believe Siddhartha Gautama was born into an elite family in the small Shakya Republic, which is now part of Nepal. Gautama gave up his inheritance after reaching adulthood and lived as a sramana ascetic, studying under various teachers. After six years of searching for a solution to human suffering, Gautama found enlightenment under a Bodhi tree.
Buddha spent the remaining 45 years of his life traveling the Gangetic Plains of north-central India, teaching his doctrine and establishing his religion. Following his death in 483 B.C., Buddha’s followers started a religious movement, and his teachings evolved into Buddhism. During the reign of Ashoka the Great (268 B.C. to 232 B.C.) of the Mauryan Empire (322 B.C. to 185 B.C.), Buddhism was established as the state religion of India, and it soon spread through Central and Southeast Asia, including China and Greece.
Buddhism gained more popularity in China and Sri Lanka than in India. Buddhist art, including anthropomorphic depictions of Buddha himself, began appearing in these countries between the second and first centuries B.C. However, the Huns’ invasion of India in the sixth century, as well as the spread of Islam during the Middle Ages, forced Buddhism into the background. In 1950, the World Fellowship of Buddhists held its first conference in Sri Lanka. During the conference, members agreed to formalize Vesak as the Buddha’s birthday in all Buddhist countries.
Resource: https://nationaltoday.com/buddha-day/
Tanja's Little Corner of The World 