According to Jain tradition, each of the 24 Tirthankaras had chief disciples known as Gandhars. The number of Gandhars varied for each Tirthankar, but collectively, over the era of all 24 Tirthankaras, the total number of unique Gandhars is considered to be 140.

Key points:

• Each Tirthankar had a group of Gandhars (chief disciples) who helped propagate their teachings.
• The number of Gandhars per Tirthankar is described in Jain scriptures and varies (for example, Lord Mahavira had 11 Gandhars).
• The aggregate, as per Jain tradition, is 140 Gandhars for all 24 Tirthankars.

References:

• Jain Agamas and traditional Jain texts.
• "Compendium of Jainism" by S. Jain, and other standard Jain literature.