History&Culture Timelines:MainPage TimelineofBuddhistHistory

Buddhist

120*

20

144

244

344

444

Western

MajorEvents

6thCentury
B.C.E.*

LifeofSiddharthaGuatama,thehistorical
Buddha:conventionaldates:566486B.C.E.
(Accordingtomorerecentresearch,revised
datesare:490410BCE).

PersianEmpirefoundedby
CyrustheGreat(550B.C.E.)
Confucius(551479)
Zarathustra(630553)
BirthofMahavira(550)

5thCentury

FirstBuddhistCouncilatRajagaha(486)after
theParinirvana*,underthepatronageofKing
Ajatasattu.
TheBuddhistCanonasitexisttodaywas
settledatthisCouncilandpreservedasanoral
tradition.

Socrates(469399)
Plato(427347)
BattleofMarathon(490)
GreekPersianWars(490479)
PartheonBuilt(438)

4thCentury

SecondBuddhistCouncilatVesali(386)
about100yearaftertheParinirvana.
FirstschismoftheSanghaoccursinwhich
theMahasanghikaschoolpartswayswiththe
SthaviravadinsandtheTheravadins.
NoncanonicalBuddhistCouncilatPataliputra
(367)

3rdCentury

ReignofIndianEmperorAsoka(272231)who
convertsandestablishestheBuddha'sDharma
onanationallevelforthefirsttime.
ThirdBuddhistCouncilatPataliputra(250)
underthepatronageofEmperorAsokaabout
200yearsaftertheParinirvana.Themodern
PaliTipitakanowessentiallycomplete.
Asoka'ssonandmissionaryMahinda
establishedBuddhisminSriLanka(247)

2ndCentury

1stCentury

BeginningsofMahayanaBuddhism(20O).
CompositionofPrajnaparamitaliterature.
HistoricalrecordhasitthattwoBuddhist
missionariesfromIndiain68AD,arrivedatthe
courtofEmperorMing(5875)ofHanDynasty.
Theyenjoyedimperialfavourandstayedonto
translatevariousBuddhistTexts,oneofwhich,
The'SutraofFortytwoSections'continuesto
bepopulareventoday.

644

1stCentury
C.E.*

2ndCentury

Aristotle(384322)
AlexandertheGreat(356323)
invadedIndia(327)

GreatWallofChina(250)
Hadrian'sWallcirca3rd
CenturyAD
HannibalBarca(247?183?)

Buddhistmonuments:Sanchi,
Amaravati,BodhiGaya,India.
(185175)
HanDynastyinChina
(206220)

01BCEMar1,Startofthe
EntirescripturalcanonofTheravadaSchool
revisedJuliancalendarin
wascommittedtowritingonpalmleavesinPali
Rome.
attheAlokaCave,nearMatale,SriLanka(35
32)
MilindapahaorQuestionsofKingMilindato JuliusCaesar(10044)
VenerbleNagasena.
Virgil,Latinpoet(7019)
KingKaniska(78101)convenedtheFourth
BuddhistCouncilatJalandharorinKashmir
around100C.E.(Thisisnotrecognizedbythe

544

WorldFiguresandEvents

Theravadins).

BuddhismestablishedinCambodia100C.E
andinVietnam150C.E.
CompositionofLotusSutraandother
MahayanaBuddhisttexts.
BuddhismentersCentralAsiaandChina.

TheAgeofIndianBuddhistphilosopher
Nargarjuna(150)founderoftheschoolof
Madhyamika('theMiddleWay').

JesusofNazareth(033C.E.)
DestructionofJerusalemand
thesecondTemple:(70C.E.)
TheBuddhafirstrepresented
inartashumanform.
RomanEmpirereachesthe
heightofitspower.
In185C.E,Shungaa
Brahmangeneralbecamethe
rulerandtheShungadynasty
ruledfor112yearsinIndia.

ExpansionofBuddhismtoBurma,Cambodia,
Laos,Vietnam,andIndonesia.

ThreeKingdomsdynasty
(220265)Divisionintothree

744

844

944

1044

1144

1244

3rdCentury

4thCentury

5thCentury

6thCentury

7thCentury

8thCentury

Laos,Vietnam,andIndonesia.
TheYogacara(meditation)schoolwasfounded
byMaitreyanatha(3rdcentury).
BuddhistinfluenceinPersiaspreadsthrough
trade.

(220265)Divisionintothree
states:Wei,Shu,Wu.Many
scientificadvancesadopted
fromIndia.
TheEmperorConstantine
convertstoChristianity(312)

Asanga(310390)andhisbrotherVasubandhu
(420500)prominentteachersoftheYogacara
schoolofBuddhism.
DevelopmentofVajrayanaBuddhisminIndia.
TranslationofBuddhisttextsintoChineseby
Kumarajiva(344413)andHuiyan(334416).
BuddhismentersKorea(372).

Guptadynastyexemplifiedby
ChandraGuptaII(375415)
dominatedNorthCentralIndia.

Buddhistmonasticuniversityfoundedat
Nalanda,India.
BuddhaghosacomposestheVisuddhimagga
andmajorcommentariesinSriLanka.
BuddhismestablishedinBurmaandKorea.
ChinesepilgrimFaHsienvisitsIndia(399
414).
Amitabha(Amida)PureLandsectemergesin
China.
SrilankanTheravadinnunsintroducefull
ordinationlineageintoChina(433).
MahayanaBuddhismwasintroducedinto
Java,Sumatra,Borneo,mainlybyIndian
immigrants.
BodhidharmafounderofCh'an(Zen)arrivesin
ChinafromIndia.(526)
SuiDynastyinChineseHistory(589617)
beginningofGoldenAgeofChineseBuddhism.
DevelopmentofT'ientai,Huayen,PureLand,
andCh'anschoolsofChineseBuddhism.
BuddhismentersJapan(538)becomesstate
religion(594).
BuddhismflourishinginIndonesia.
JatakaTalestranslatedintoPersianbyKing
Khusru(531579).
ConstructionofPotalaPalace,Jokangand
RamochetemplestohouseBuddhaimages
(641650)
Harsavardhanarulerofalargeempirein
northernIndiafrom606to647.Hewasa
BuddhistconvertinaHinduera.
ChinesepilgrimHsuanTsang(602664)visits
India.
Academicschools(Jjitsu,Kusha,Sanron,
Hoss,Ritsu,andKegon)proliferateinJapan.
GreatdebatebetweenTibetanandChinese
Buddhistschools.
Ch'andeclaredhereticalinTibet.
NyingmaSchoolofTibetBuddhism
established.
BorobudurTemplecomplexbuiltinJava.
JatakaTalestranslatedintoSyrianandArabic
undertitle:KalilagandDamnag.
KhmerkingsbuildAngkorWat,theworld's
largestreligiousmonument.

TendaiSchool(foundedbySaich(767822)
andShingonSchool(foundedbyKukai:(774

1344

SaintAugustine(354430)

5thCenturyAngloSaxon
InvasionofEngland
EarliesthospitalinSriLanka
(437)
FalloftheWesternRoman
Empire(476)

ProphetMohammed(570632)
TheAgeofIslamicExpansion
(630725)
FirstpagodabuiltinChina
(600)

IslamsweepsacrossNorth
Africa(700800)
Tangdynasty,China(618906)

NaraPeriodinJapanese
history(710784)
FirstmonasterybuiltinTibet
(Samye)(749)
MosleminvasionofCentral
Asia(760)
Charlemagne(742814)

HeianPeriodinJapanese
history(7941185)

9thCentury
835)appearinJapan.
GreatBuddhistpersecutioninChina(845)

Firstprintedbook,Diamond
Sutra,China(868)

BiographyofBuddhatranslatedintoGreekby
SaintJohnofDamascusanddistributedin
Christianityas"Balaam"and"Josaphat".
FirstcompleteprintingofChineseBuddhist
Canon(983),knownastheSzechuanedition.

SungDynastyinChinese
History(9601279)

Canon(983),knownastheSzechuanedition.
1444

10thCentury

BuddhisminThailand(9001000)
IslamreplacesBuddhisminCentralAsia
(9001000).

History(9601279)
1000C.EThepopulationat
thistimewasabout200million
peopleintheworld.

ConversionofKingAnawrahtaofPagan
(Burma)(10441077)byShinArahan.

1544

11thCentury

Atisha(9821054)arrivesinTibetfromIndia
(1042).
Marpa(10121097)beginsKargyuSchoolof
TibetanBuddhism.
Milarepa(10401123)becomesgreatestpoet
andmostpopularsaintinTibetanBuddhism.
Thebhikkhuandbhikkhuni(monkandnun)
communitiesatAnuradhapura,SriLanka,die
outfollowinginvasionsfromSouthIndia.
SakyaSchoolofTibetanBuddhism
established.
RevivalofTheravadaBuddhisminSriLanka
andBurma. DeclineofBuddhisminIndia.
TheravadaBuddhismestablishedinBurma.

Hnen(11331212)foundedthePureLand
SchoolofJapaneseBuddhism.
Eisai(11411215)foundstheRinzaiZen
SchoolofJapaneseBuddhism.

1644

12thCentury

In1193theMoslemsattackedandconquered
Magadha,theheartlandofBuddhisminIndia,
andwiththedestructionoftheBuddhist
MonasteriesandUniversities(Valabhiand
Nalanda)inthatareaBuddhismwaswiped
out.

10001100Therewasa
ConfucianrevivalinChina.
EdwardtheConfessor,
Englishking(10421066)
GreatSchismbetween
OrthodoxandRomanCatholic
Churches(1054)
1stCrusades(10961099)

OmarKhayyam,Persianpoet
andmathematician(10441123)
1119BolognaUniversity
foundedinItalyParis
University,inFrance,is
foundedin1150.
KamakuraPeriodinJapanese
history(11921338)

BuddhisminKoreaflourishesundertheKoryo
dynasty(11401390).

1744

1844

13thCentury

14thCentury

Shinran(11731263)foundsTruePureLand
SchoolofJapaneseBuddhism.
Dogen(12001253)foundsSotoZenSchoolof
JapaneseBuddhism.
Nichiren(12221282)foundsschoolof
JapaneseBuddhismnamedafterhim.
MongolsconvertedtoVajrayanaBuddhism.
TheravadaBuddhismspreadstoLaos.
SomeBuddhisttextsstillbeingtranslatedinto
Arabic,inPersia.

FrancisofAssisi(11811226)
MagnaCarta(1215)
GenghisKhaninvadesChina
(1215)
ThomasAquinas(12251274)
MongolconquestofChina
complete(1279)

BustoncollectsandeditsTibetanBuddhist
Canon.
Rulersofthenorth(Chiengmai)andnortheast
(Sukhothai)ThailandadoptTheravada
Buddhism(becomesstatereligionin1360).
TheravadaBuddhismadoptedinCambodia
andLaos.
Tsongkhapa(13571419)TibetanBuddhist

JohnWycliffe(13281384)
Englishtheologianandbiblical
translator.
Chinaregainsits
independencefromtheMongols
undertheMingdynasty(1368)

reformerandfounderofDgelugspa(or
Gelugpa,or'YellowHat')order.

1944

2044

15thCentury

BeginningofDalaiLamalineageinTibetan
Buddhism.InCambodia,theVishnuite
temple,AngkorWat,foundedinthe12th
century,becomesaBuddhistcentre.

Developmentofprintingin
Europe
LeonardoDaVinci(14521519)
Columbus"finds"thenew
world(1492)

16thCentury

Tibet'sGelugpaleaderreceivesthetitleof
"Dalai"fromAltanKhan(1578).
"GreatFifth"DalaiLamameetsQingEmperor
ShunzhinearBeijing.

MartinLuther(14831546)
ProtestantReformation
Shakespeare,(15641616)
Galileo(15641642)

2144

2244

2344

24442544

17thCentury

ControlofJapaneseBuddhismbyTokugawa
Shgunate(therulingfeudalgovernment)(I603
1867)
Hakuin(16861769)monk,writerandartist
whohelpedrevivetheRinzaiZenSectin
JapaneseBuddhism.

Japanclosesthedoorto
foreigners(1639)
PilgrimsreachAmerica(1620)
Galileorecants(1633)
EnglishCivilWar(1642)

18thCentury

ColonialoccupationofSriLanka,Burma,
Laos,Cambodia,andVietnam.
KingKirtiSriRajasinhaobtainsbhikkhusfrom
theThaicourttoreinstatethebhikkhu
ordinationlinewhichhasdiedoutinSriLanka.

1700sAgeofEnlightenment
introducesrevolutionarynew
ideastoEurope.
Americanindependence
(1776)
Frenchrevolution(17891802)

19thCentury

NewsectsbegintoemergeinJapanese
Buddhism.
SriLankanforestmonksgotoBurmafor
reordination(1862).
FirstWesterntranslationoftheDhammapada.
(German1862).
GermantranslationofLotusSutra,1852and
pioneerBuddhistscholars:Neumannand
Odlenburg,firstGermanmonk,Nyanatiloka.
FirstChineseTempleinUSA(SanFrancisco)
(1853)
5thBuddhistCouncilinMandalay,Burma
(18681871)wherethetextofthePaliCanon
wasrevisedandinscribedon729marbleslabs.

20thCentury

BuddhistSocietyofGreatBritain,founded
(1907).
BuddhistMissionSocietyinGermany,
founded(1903).
TaishShinshDaizokyeditionofChinese
BuddhistCanonprintedinTokyo(19241929).
ChinesecontrolofTibetanBuddhism(1950).
FoundingofWorldFellowshipofBuddhists
(1952).
BuddhaJayantiYear,commemorating2,500
yearsofBuddhism(1956).
6thBuddhistCouncilheldatRangoon,
Myanmar(Burma)(19541956).
DalaiLamafleesTibettoIndia(1959).
TibetanBuddhismspreadstowestern
countries.
FirstTheravadaMonasteryestablishedin
USA(1966).
FirstTibetan(Sakya)CentrefoundedinUSA
(1971).
Tibetantextscollected,translatedand
disseminatedbyBuddhistpublishers1960's.
H.H.DalaiLamareceivesNobelPeacePrize
(1989).

MeijiRestorationinJapanese
history1868,markingendof
militaryrule.
1833Abolitionofslaveryin
Britishempire.

AmericanCivilWar(1861
1865)

MahatmaGandhi(18691948)
WWI(19141918)
Russianrevolution(1917
1922)
1919ErnestRutherfordsplits
atomforfirsttime.
WWII(19391945)
CulturalRevolution(China)
(1966)
PopeJohnPaulIIpardons
Galileo(1995)
TheFalloftheBerlinWall,the
ColdWarends.(1989)

*TheBuddhistcalendarstarts(year1)fromtheBuddha'sParinirvana(deathandfinalrelease)whichoccuredinhiseightiethyear.
*B.C.E.=BeforeCommonEra(EquivalenttoB.C.)*C.E.=CommonEra(EquivalenttoA.D.)

Copyright 2008BDEA/BuddhaNet.Allrightsreserved.