Tendai is one of the premiere sub schools of Mahayana Buddhism. It is named after Mount Tiantai located in the south eastern region of what is now known as the People's Republic of China. Interestingly, whereas the first monastery of this school of Buddhism was established in China, Japan was the place where it gained most followers.
The source of origin of Tendai Buddhism is a study of the Saddharmapundarika Sutra, commonly known as the Lotus sutra of Buddhism, literal translation being "The Lotus Sutra of the Wonderful Law". This is one of the foundational treatises of Mahayana Buddhism. Sometime in the third century C.E., this sutra was translated in to Chinese. In the sixth century C.E. a Chinese monk named Zhiyi established the above mentioned monastery on the mountain and started his discourse in the sutra.
One of the key activities of Zhiyi was to create a well organized, five part scheme out of all sutras of Theravada and Mahayana. The set comprised of all teachings of Buddha. These culminated in Lotus Sutra which was then marked as the summary or synthesis par excellence of Buddhism.
By the turn of the century, many refinements had taken place and the word of this school reached Japanese archipelago. Japanese monk Saicho who is said to have lived from 767 C.E. to 822 C.E. traveled to Mount Tiantai and went back to his country bearing with him the core of what was to become Tendai Buddism in Japan. The monk settled near Kyoto on Mount Hiei.
In the beginning, the work of Saicho was opposed by the Japanese Buddhist top brass from Nara. The Nara theocrats relied on the Theravada Budhhism whereas Saicho was delivering his discourse based upon Mahayan Buddhism. Saicho went so far as to include principles of Zen and esoteric Buddhism which resulted in a hybrid Sino-Japanese form of Buddhism. These conflicts were resolved in 823 C.E. by an approval from the emperor of Japan. Saicho's sect was soon to grow in to something big.
The efforts of Saicho were taken forward by two key monks of Tendai. These were Ennin, believed to have lived from 794 C.E. to 864 C.E. and Enshin, who is believed to have lived from 814 C.E. to 891 C.E. These monks manipulated and mobilized the Imperial Japanese court politics in favor of their sect. Soon the humble monastery established by Saicho on Mount Hiei turned into a super magnificent temple complex.
By the coming of Heian period which the Japanese historians date from 794 C. E. to 1185 C.E., Tendai had become one of the two most widely followed schools of Buddhism in the archipelago. The other was Shingon. Tendai gained strong favors from Heian aristocracy. The middle ages were truly a great period for Tendai Buddhism.
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