Siddhartha Gautama was a great religious leader who founded Buddhism. He was born a prince in Nepal but abandoned his privileged life to pursue enlightenment. He developed philosophies like the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path that influenced many people and allowed Buddhism to spread worldwide as the fourth largest religion. As someone who grew up in Nepal learning about Buddhism in school, the author has a firsthand understanding of Gautama's legacy and achievements as a leader who changed religious and cultural traditions.