Ancient Indian History
Buddhism
Indian religion and philosophy
Overview
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophy based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a śramaṇa and religious teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with an estimated 320 million to 540 million followers, representing approximately 4.1%–6.7% of the global population. It originated in the eastern Gangetic plain as a śramaṇa movement in the 5th century BCE, and gradually spread throughout much of Asia via the Silk Road. Buddhism has since played a significant role in Asian culture and spirituality, eventually spreading to the West in the 19th century.
Source: Wikipedia — Buddhism (CC BY-SA)
Key concepts
How Buddhism connects to the ideas, people and events around it.
Indian religions, also known as Dharmic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent.
Indian philosophy consists of philosophical traditions of the Indian subcontinent. These philosophical traditions are often called darśana, meaning "to see" or "looking at." Ānvīkṣikī means “critical inquiry” or “investigation.
Pre-sectarian Buddhism, also called early Buddhism, the earliest Buddhism, original Buddhism, and primitive Buddhism, is Buddhism as theorised to have existed before the various early Buddhist schools developed, around 250 BCE.
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering religious teacher who lived in the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
In Indian religions and philosophies, a śramaṇa or samaṇa, sometimes anglicised as shramana, is a person "who labours, toils, or exerts themselves for some higher or religious purpose" or a "seeker, or ascetic, one who performs acts of austerity".
Common Era (CE) and Before the Common Era (BCE) are conventions used in the Gregorian or Julian calendar to specify whether the year is before or after the epoch.
The world's principal religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups, though this is not a uniform practice.
The Indo-Gangetic Plain, also known as the North Indian Plain or the Indus-Gangetic Plain, is a fertile plain spanning 700,000 km2 (270,000 sq mi) across the northern, north-western and north-eastern part of South Asia.
Revise Buddhism
Flashcards and a quick quiz, built from this map.
Questions about Buddhism
What is Buddhism?
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophy based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a śramaṇa and religious teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth-largest religion, with an estimated 320 million to 540 million followers, representing approximately 4.1%–6.7% of the global population.
What are the key concepts related to Buddhism?
The main concepts connected to Buddhism include Indian religions, Indian philosophy, Pre-sectarian Buddhism, The Buddha, Śramaṇa, Common Era, Major religious groups, Indo-Gangetic Plain. Each is linked on the map above with its own summary.
Which exams cover Buddhism?
Buddhism is part of Ancient Indian History, which appears in the syllabus of UPSC CSE, UPSC CAPF, NDA, CDS, AFCAT, SSC CGL and 48 more exams.