"Year 1" is, of course, Anno Domini, the year of Our Lord, a Christian date, and so it took some time before the majority of people, even in Europe, began to think in such terms. The question of when our current dating system became widespread, and what systems were used before it, comes up here quite a bit and there is an excellent response to it, led by u/sunagainstgold, in our FAQ here. While there's always more to be said, you might like to review it while you wait for fresh responses to your query.