Timeline of Buddhist History

Buddhism has a long and rich history. From the time of Shakyamuni Buddha, based on whose teachings Buddhism developed, to the present day, this religion has changed how millions of people view the world. The teachings of Buddhism evolved over a long period of time, spreading from the Indian subcontinent into other parts of Asia and across the globe.

Date(s)	Historical Event(s)
5th Century BCE	Life of Shakyamuni Buddha, based on whose teachings Buddhism developed.
269-231 BCE	Reign of King Ashoka, patron of Buddhism; sends first Buddhists to Sri Lanka in the third century.
100 BCE to 100 CE	Rise of Mahayana Buddhism.
First half of 2nd century CE	Reign of King Kanishka; Mahayana Buddhism spreads to Central Asia.
1st century CE	Buddhism first enters China.
520	First Zen patriarch Bodhidharma arrives in China.
538	Buddhism enters Japan from Korea.
7th to 8th century	Vajrayana Buddhism established in Tibet.
11th to 14th century	Theravada Buddhism established in Southeast Asia.
1199	Nalanda University destroyed; demise of Buddhism in India.
13th century	Zen, Pure Land, and Nichiren Buddhism established in Japan.
1881	Pali Text Society founded.
1893	World Parliament of Religions (Chicago).
1956	Celebration of 2,500 years of Buddhism.

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