Final answer:
Both Mahayana Buddhists and Theravada Buddhists view Gautama as a historical figure and an enlightened teacher.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mahayana Buddhists and Theravada Buddhists view Gautama as a historical figure. Both branches of Buddhism believe that Gautama, also known as Siddhartha Gautama and the Buddha, was a real person who lived in ancient India around the 6th century BCE. He is revered as the founder of Buddhism and as an enlightened teacher who discovered the path to liberation from suffering.