What are historical figures and events in Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism?
In Hinduism, as a religion, there are no historical figures as such who gave out the sacred texts, or who feature in them. However, it is possible that the original Vedic gods were deifications of tribal leaders in the dim past. It is probable that figures such as Rama, Sita and Laksamana, and their nemesis Ravana, who is called King of Lengka-clearly Sri Lanka- (in the Ramayana) and the two sets of cousins, the Pandavas and the Kauravas (in the Mahabharata) were historical figures, but no proof as yet exists for them. For Hindus, historical proof for their founders is not essential, only the beliefs. For Buddhists, they, too, do not consider history too important, preferring the teachings, but it is almost certain that Gauttama was a historical person who did abandon his life of luxury to seek the meaning of life. No actual proof of his existence does exist, but he is a probability. The stories feel right in a historical sense, as well as fitting into the time they say they came from.
