Adi Shankara, also called Adi Shankaracharya, was an Indian Vedic scholar-monk, philosopher, and teacher (acharya) of Advaita Vedanta. He wrote influential commentaries on the Brahma sutras and other texts, and in recent times is often revered as the most important Indian philosopher. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and the historical influence of his works on Hindu intellectual thought has been questioned. The historical Shankara was probably relatively unknown and Vaishnava-oriented and his true impact lies in the popular perception of him as a heroic religious leader who re-established traditional Hinduism. 788 – 820; died at about 32. Alive at the same time as Charlemagne, Muḥammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, Abu Nuwas, Al-Shafi'i, and Jabir ibn Hayyan. Wiki link