Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, was born in which of the following years?

Introduction / Context:
Guru Nanak Dev is revered as the first Guru and founder of Sikhism. His life and teachings laid the foundation for a distinct religious tradition in the Punjab region. Many competitive examinations ask for his year of birth, so this is a factual recall question on Indian religious history.

Given Data / Assumptions:
- The question is asking specifically for the year of birth of Guru Nanak Dev.
- The options are different years in the fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries.
- Only one of these years matches the widely accepted historical date.

Concept / Approach:
Standard historical accounts place the birth of Guru Nanak Dev in 1469 CE at Talwandi, which is now in Pakistan and known as Nankana Sahib. The method is simply to recall this standard date and select it from the options provided.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Remember that the birth of Guru Nanak Dev is commemorated around the year 1469.
Step 2: Look through the options and locate 1469 AD.
Step 3: Verify that no other option corresponds to this known date.
Step 4: Choose 1469 AD as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
A quick check is to recall that Guru Nanak Dev lived from 1469 to 1539 CE according to widely cited historical sources. If this lifespan is in mind, then 1469 stands out clearly as the birth year among the options, making the answer straightforward.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is wrong because 1449 AD is too early and does not match the commonly accepted date.
Option b is wrong since 1453 AD is also not used in standard histories of Guru Nanak Dev.
Option d is wrong as 1499 AD is significantly later than the accepted birth year.
Option e is wrong because 1519 AD lies in the sixteenth century and cannot be the correct birth year.

Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes learners confuse the dates of birth of different saints or mix up the birth year with later important events. Another mistake is to round dates to approximate decades rather than memorising the specific year. For frequently asked figures like Guru Nanak Dev, it is useful to remember the exact year 1469.

Final Answer:
Guru Nanak Dev was born in the year 1469 AD.