Mahavira, also known by his birth name Vardhamana, was an Indian religious reformer and spiritual leader, considered by Jains to be the 24th and final Tirthankara in the current time cycle of Jain cosmology. He is believed by historians to have lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE, reviving and reforming an earlier Jain or proto-Jain community which had likely been led by Pārśvanātha, whom Jains consider to be Mahavira's predecessor. Although the dates of Mahavira's life are uncertain and historically reliable information is scarce, and traditional accounts vary by sectarian traditions, the historicity of Mahavira is well-established and not in dispute among scholars. 599 BC – 527 BC; died at about 72. Alive at the same time as Confucius, Sun Tzu, Sappho, The Buddha, and Pythagoras. Wiki link