It is believed that in 537 BCE, that Siddhartha Gautama attained the state of enlightenment and became known as the "Buddha"- the enlightened one.Around the same time Mahavira founded Jainism. The Buddha's teachings and Jainism had doctrines inclined towards asceticism, and they were preached in Prakrit, which helped them gain acceptance amongst the masses.The teachings of Buddha spread to Central Asia, East Asia, Tibet, Sri Lanka, and south.
