Buddhism is the religion named after Siddhartha Gautama, who, although born of a princely family on the borders of what is now India and Nepal, was moved by the poverty and suffering of people with whom he came into contact. As a result, he renounced his status and spent half a century wandering and teaching. Most of this was done in the states of Bihar and Oudh, located in the area between north-central and northeastern India. He lived between 560 and 480 BCE (although other dates have also been given). Gradually, he became known as the “Enlightened One,” or the Buddha, and his followers were called Buddhists.