Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, lived approximately at the same time as which of the following great thinkers in another part of the world?

Introduction / Context:
World history often highlights how great thinkers and religious founders emerged in different regions during similar periods. Gautama Buddha in India and Confucius in China are famous examples of this pattern. This question asks you to identify which figure from the options was approximately contemporary with Buddha, helping you place Indian history in a global timeline.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Buddha is generally dated to around the sixth to fifth centuries BC.
• The options include religious and philosophical figures from different times and regions.
• Only one of these figures lived roughly in the same period as Buddha.

Concept / Approach:
Historians place the life of Buddha roughly between 563 and 483 BC, although exact dates vary slightly. Confucius of China is usually dated between 551 and 479 BC. These overlapping time frames show that they were approximate contemporaries. The other figures listed either lived much earlier or much later, so they do not match Buddha time period.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall approximate dates for Buddha, around the sixth and fifth centuries BC. Step 2: Remember that Confucius also lived in the sixth and fifth centuries BC in China. Step 3: Recognise that Moses is placed much earlier in many traditions, long before Buddha. Step 4: Note that Prophet Muhammad lived in the seventh century of the common era, much later. Step 5: Hammurabi and Saint Augustine belong to very different centuries, so they cannot be contemporaries of Buddha.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by grouping major world thinkers into broad time blocks. Buddha and Confucius are often placed together in discussions of the Axial Age, a period when many new religious and philosophical ideas appeared. The other figures listed in the options belong to biblical, Islamic, Mesopotamian, or early Christian contexts with very different dates.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, Moses, is associated with a much earlier period in the Near East. Option C, Prophet Muhammad, lived in the seventh century of the common era, over a thousand years after Buddha. Option D, Hammurabi, was a Babylonian king from the eighteenth century BC, again long before Buddha. Option E, Saint Augustine, was an early Christian theologian in the fourth and fifth centuries of the common era, long after Buddha.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is ignoring dates and simply guessing based on familiarity with names. Another mistake is to confuse the Axial Age idea with later religious movements. To avoid errors, always connect Buddha and Confucius with the same broad historical period in your revision notes.

Final Answer:
Gautama Buddha lived approximately at the same time as Confucius in China.