The following figures are believed to have founded major beliefs or to have been the first codifiers or best known proponents of older known religion or traditions. In some cases, little or nothing is known of the figures; the dates are conjectures and some historians doubt that the founder, as described, ever existed.

This list should not be construed as anything more than a list of suggestions for further reading and research. Wikipedia takes no position on whether or not these figures existed or "founded" a tradition, or which constitutes a separate religion or tradition. Most of the terms in the title of the article are disputed by one or more of the groups listed. It has been suggested that Adam (prophet of Islam) be merged into this article or section. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Tomb of Abraham Abraham (ca. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people with around 15 million followers as of 2006. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... (3rd millennium BC - 2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC) Events 2064 – 1986 BC -- Twin Dynasty wars in Egypt. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى MÅ«sa, Geez ሙሴ Musse) is a legendary Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people with around 15 million followers as of 2006. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... (Redirected from 1600 BCE) Centuries: 18th century BC - 17th century BC - 16th century BC Decades: 1650s BC 1640s BC 1630s BC 1620s BC 1610s BC - 1600s BC - 1590s BC 1580s BC 1570s BC 1560s BC 1550s BC Events and trends Egypt: End of Fourteenth Dynasty The creation of one of... (Redirected from 1100 BCE) Centuries: 13th century BC - 12th century BC - 11th century BC Decades: 1150s BC 1140s BC 1130s BC 1120s BC 1110s BC - 1100s BC - 1090s BC 1080s BC 1070s BC 1060s BC 1050s BC Events and Trends 1100 BC - Tiglath-Pileser I of Assyria conquers the Hittites... Zoroaster, in a popular Parsi Zoroastrian depiction. ... Zoroastrianism is the name of the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to prophet Zoroaster (Zarathushtra, Zartosht). ... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar) who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... -1... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Jaina redirects here. ... Numa Pompilius (April 21, 753 BC - 674 BC) succeeded Romulus as the second King of Rome. ... The Roman Kingdom (Latin: Regnum Romanum) was the monarchal government for the city of Rome and its territories from its founding. ... Religion in ancient Rome combined several different cult practices and embraced more than a single set of beliefs. ... Centuries: 9th century BC - 8th century BC - 7th century BC Decades: 760s BC 750s BC 740s BC 730s BC 720s BC - 710s BC - 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC 660s BC Events and trends Judah, Tyre and Sidon revolt against Assyria 719 BC - Zhou Huan Wang of the... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 720s BC 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC - 670s BC - 660s BC 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC Events and Trends 677 BC - Death of Zhou li wang, King of the Zhou Dynasty of China. ... Standing Buddha, ancient region of Gandhara, northern Pakistan, 1st century CE, Musée Guimet. ... Buddhism is a religion and philosophy focusing on the teachings of the Buddha Śākyamuni (Siddhārtha Gautama), who probably lived in the 5th century BCE. Buddhism spread throughout the ancient Indian sub-continent in the five centuries following the Buddhas death, and propagated into Central, Southeast, and East Asia... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar) who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... Centuries: 7th century BC - 6th century BC - 5th century BC Decades: 610s BC 600s BC 590s BC 580s BC 570s BC - 560s BC - 550s BC 540s BC 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC Events and Trends 562 BC - Amel-Marduk succeeds Nebuchadnezzar as king of Babylon 560 BC - Neriglissar succeeds... Centuries: 6th century BC - 5th century BC - 4th century BC Decades: 530s BC 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC 490s BC - 480s BC - 470s BC 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC Years: 488 BC 487 BC 486 BC 485 BC 484 BC - 483 BC - 482 BC 481 BC... Confucius (Chinese 孔夫子, transliterated Kong Fuzi or Kung-fu-tzu, literally Master Kong, traditionally September 28, 551 – 479 BC) was a famous Chinese thinker and social philosopher, whose teachings and philosophy deeply influenced East Asian life and thought. ... Confucianist temple Thian Hock Keng in Singapore Confucianism (Chinese: å„’å­¦, Pinyin: Rúxué‚ [ ] , literally The School of the Scholars; or, less accurately, 孔教 Kŏng jiào, The Religion of Confucius) is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage Confucius. ... 550s BC ... 479 pr. ... Lao Zi (also spelled Laozi, Lao Tzu, or Lao Tse) was a famous Chinese philosopher who is believed to have lived in approximately the 4th century BC, during the Hundred Schools of Thought and Warring States Periods. ... Taoism (sometimes written as Daoism) is the English name for: (a) a philosophical school based on the texts the Dao De Jing (ascribed to Laozi) and the Zhuangzi. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC - 600s BC - 590s BC 580s BC 570s BC 560s BC 550s BC The 600s BC are the years 609 to 600 BC. Events and trends Fall of the Assyrian... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Founded by Mozi, Mohism (墨家), or Moism, is a Chinese philosophy that evolved at the same time as Confucianism, Taoism and Legalism (Hundred Schools of Thought). ... Centuries: 4th century BC - 5th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 520s BC 510s BC 500s BC 490s BC 480s BC - 470s BC - 460s BC 450s BC 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC Years: 475 BC 474 BC 473 BC 472 BC 471 BC - 470 BC - 469 BC 468 BC... Centuries: 5th century BC - 4th century BC - 3rd century BC Decades: 440s BC 430s BC 420s BC 410s BC 400s BC - 390s BC - 380s BC 370s BC 360s BC 350s BC 340s BC 395 BC 394 BC 393 BC 392 BC 391 BC - 390 BC - 389 BC 388 BC 387... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Failure of John the Baptist. ... Mandaeism or Mandaeanism (Mandaic: mandaiuta) is a blanket term for the religion of the Mandaeans (Classical Mandaic mandaiia, Neo-Mandaic Mandeyānā) who are the followers of Mendā d-Heyyi (Mandaic manda Knowledge of Life). Mandaeism is a monotheistic religion practiced primarily in southern Iraq and the Iranian province of... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... Jesus (8-2 BC/BCE — 29-36 AD/CE),[1] also known as Jesus of Nazareth, is the central figure of Christianity. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar) who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC - 0s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s 9 BC 8 BC 7 BC 6 BC 5 BC 4 BC 3 BC 2 BC 1 BC 1 2 Events Archelaus becomes... Events The Sermon on the Mount (according to proponents of the 33 theory) April 7 - Crucifixion of Jesus (suggested date, but it is also suggested that he died on April 3, AD 33) Births Quintus Petillius Cerialis, brother-in-law of Vespasian Deaths April 7 - Judas Iscariot, disciple of Jesus... Mani (in Persian مانی) was born of Iranian (Parthian) parantage in Babylon, Mesopotamia which was a part of Persian Empire about 210-276 CE. He was a religious preacher and the founder of Manichaeism, an ancient Persian gnostic religion that was once prolific but is now extinct. ... Manichean priests, writing at their desk, with panel inscription in Sogdian. ... Events Caracalla is Roman Consul Births Dexippus, Greek historian Mani, founder of Manichaeism (approximate date) Deaths Sauromates II, King of Bosporus Claudius Galen, Greek scholar Monoimus, Arab gnostic (approximate date) Zhou Yu, Chinese strategist Category: ... Events Sassanid Shah Bahram II succeeded Bahram I. Probus became Roman Emperor. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar) who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... Events First mention of the Spear of Destiny (approximate date). ... Events Abu Bakr becomes first caliph or Successor of the Prophet, leader of Islam Abu Bakr defeats Mosailima in the Battle of Akraba. ... Guru Nanak (गुरु नानक) (20 October 1469 - 7 May 1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore in present-day Pakistan. ... The Harimandir Sāhib, known popularly as the Golden Temple, is a sacred shrine for Sikhs Sikhism (IPA: or ; Punjabi: , , IPA: ) is a religion that found its genesis in sixteenth century Northern India with the teachings of Nānak and nine successive human Gurus. ... Events July 26 - Battle of Edgecote Moor October 17 - Prince Ferdinand of Aragon wed princess Isabella of Castile. ... Events May 30 - In Florida, Hernando de Soto lands at Tampa Bay with 600 soldiers with the goal to find gold. ... Nakayama Miki (1798-1887) is a Japanese woman noted for founding Tenrikyo. ... Tenrikyo Headquarters, Tenri Tenrikyo (天理教; Tenrikyō, lit. ... 1798 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Joseph Smith, Jr. ... The Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the largest attraction in the citys Temple Square. ... 1805 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1844 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The room where The Báb declared His mission on May 23, 1844 in His house in Shiraz. ... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar) who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... 1819 common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1850 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (ba-haa-ol-laa Arabic: ‎ Glory of God) (1817 - 1892), born Mírzá Husayn-`Alí (Persian: ‎ ), was the founder and prophet of the Baháí Faith. ... Seat of the Universal House of Justice, governing body of the Baháís in Haifa, Israel The Baháí Faith is a global religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... The Baháí Faith refers to what are commonly called Prophets as Manifestations of God, or simply Manifestations (mazhar) who are directly linked with the concept of Progressive revelation. ... Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ... 1817 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1892 (MDCCCXCII) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (مرزا غلام احمد) (February 13, 1835–May 26, 1908), a religious figure belonging to India, was the founder of the Ahmadiyya religious movement. ... Ahmadi Muslims are followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... | Come and take it, slogan of the Texas Revolution 1835 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Charles Russell in 1911 Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), known as Pastor Russell, was an American evangelist from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who founded what is known as the Bible Student movement. ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ngo Van Chieu was the first disciple of Cao Dai. ... Tay Ninh Holy See Cao Dai (Cao Đài) is a relatively new, syncretist, monotheistic religion, officially established in Tây Ninh, southern Vietnam, in 1926. ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mary Baker Eddy Mary Morse Baker, better known as Mary Baker Eddy (July 16, 1821 - December 3, 1910) founded the Church of Christ, Scientist in 1879. ... Christian Science is a teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. ... The coronation banquet for George IV 1821 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1910 (MCMX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... Lafayette Ronald Hubbard (13 March 1911 – 24 January 1986), better known as L. Ron Hubbard, was a prolific American author and founder of Scientology and Dianetics. ... Scientology is a system of beliefs and practices created by American pulp fiction[1][2] author L. Ron Hubbard in 1952 as a self-help philosophy. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... 1920 (MCMXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events January January 3 - Babe Ruth is traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for $125,000, the largest sum ever paid for a player at that time. ... Wallace Fard Muhammad (1877-1893? – after 1934) was a preacher and founder of the Black-nationalist movement the Nation of Islam (NOI), establishing its first mosque in Detroit. ... The Nation of Islam (NOI) is a religious and socio-political organization founded in the United States by Wallace Fard Muhammad in 1930 with a declared aim of resurrecting the spiritual, mental, social, and economic condition of the Black men and women of America and the rest of the world. ... 1930 (MCMXXX) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

The term "founder" would be rejected by Muslims, who believe that the first prophet of Islam was the first man, Adam. Founder is also considered an inappropriate term for Jesus, Mahavira, etc.

The term "religion" is also problematic. Whether Confucianism even is a religion is a subject of dispute, see Is Confucianism a religion?. Confucianist temple Thian Hock Keng in Singapore Confucianism (Chinese: 儒学, Pinyin: Rúxué‚ [ ] , literally The School of the Scholars; or, less accurately, 孔教 Kŏng jiào, The Religion of Confucius) is a Chinese ethical and philosophical system originally developed from the teachings of the early Chinese sage Confucius. ...

What constitutes a separate religion is also difficult to judge. Many groups listed here as separate religions do not consider themselves such, but believe their faith the only correct version of older traditions. For example, the Ahmadiyya consider themselves to be Islam, not a separate religion. The Latter Day Saints, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, and the Unification Church all consider themselves to be the correct version of Christianity. Ahmadi Muslims are followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. ... For other uses, including people named Islam, see Islam (disambiguation). ... A Latter Day Saint (LDS) is a person who identifies with the Latter Day Saint movement and is a follower of Mormonism. ... Christian Science is a teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as recounted in the New Testament. ...

What constitutes "major" has also been disputed.

Finally, it should be noted that absence from this list does not imply that a religion is not major. Hinduism and Shinto, for example, have no single founder. Hinduism {Sanskrit - Hindū Dharma, also known as Sanātana (eternal) Dharma and Vaidika (of the Vedas) Dharma} is the religion based on the Vedas as well as other traditional scriptures and beliefs. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...