Short answers, pulled from the story.
The name Jainism comes from the Sanskrit word ji, meaning to conquer, referring to the battle against the passions and bodily desires that bind the soul to the cycle of rebirth. Those who accomplish this conquest are called jina, or conquerors, and their followers are known as jain or jaina.
The tradition is spiritually guided by twenty-four supreme teachers who have conquered the cycle of rebirth and attained omniscience. The 23rd, Pārśvanātha, is dated by historians to the 9th to 8th century BCE, making him likely the earliest historical figure of the tradition. The 24th and final, Mahavira, was a contemporary of the Buddha and a central figure in the movement of Greater Magadha, which rejected the authority of the Vedas and established the current ascetic order.
The core of Jain philosophy is established on three ethical pillars: non-violence, non-absolutism or many-sided reality, and non-possession. These principles have historically fostered a community renowned for its high literacy, trusted role in commerce, and distinct intellectual culture.
The Digambara tradition places the origin of the schism around the 4th century BCE. The definitive, formal split is often associated with the Council of Vallabhi in the 5th century CE. This council was organized by the Svetambara tradition to formally codify their canonical scriptures.
Jainism has between four and five million followers, known as Jains or Jainas, residing mostly in India, with significant diaspora communities in North America, Europe, and East Asia. According to the 2011 Census of India, there were 4.45 million Jains in the country, constituting 0.37% of the total population.
Jainism is the only tradition that conceives of karma as a physical, material substance, subtle, invisible particles of matter that exist in the universe. These particles are drawn to the soul by its actions, thoughts, and words, and this karmic dirt then sticks to the soul, obscuring its innate, pure qualities of consciousness and bliss.