Italian explorer Andrea Corsali references Gujaratis & the Hindu concept of Ahimsa in a letter
Andrea Corsali worked for the Florentine Giuliano di Lorenzo de’ Medici, one of the wealthiest Italian families. The Medici dynasty had become famous through its trade routes and never ignored any new trade routes. Corsali was financed by the family to voyage on a Portuguese ship.
In a long letter to his patron (almost wholly filled with more important information), Corsali made an off-hand reference to Leonardo while describing Hindus and their vegetarian beliefs:
“Alcuni gentili chiamati Guzzarati non si cibano dicosa alcuna che tenga sangue, ne fra essi loro consentono che si noccia adalcuna cosa animata, come it nostro Leonardo da Vinci.”
In English:
“Certain infidels/foreigners called Gujaratis (Guzzarati) are so gentle that they do not feed on anything which has blood, nor will they allow anyone to hurt any living thing, like our Leonardo da Vinci.”
- National Library of Australia, Letter of Andrea Corsali, 1516