Siddhartha Gautama was born around 563 BCE in Lumbini, a small town in ancient India, to a wealthy and influential family. His father, King Suddhodana, was the ruler of the Shakya kingdom, and his mother, Queen Maya, was a princess from a neighboring kingdom. As a member of the royal family, Siddhartha was raised in luxury and was shielded from the sufferings of the outside world.