The primary influence is Jainism, but there are hints of esoteric Christianity throughout it. For all intents and purposes, the Ahimsayanians believe that for the sake of the greater good it's better to submit (especially seeing what the empire is capable of). The idea is that human empires are temporary, and will inevitably crumble, but causing unnecessary suffering leads to the greater influence of a wider scope villain in their cosmology known as the Misanthrope (think Molag Bal who brutalized a primitive human, and cursed her to become the first vampire in the Elder Scrolls). This doesn't mean that people are blindingly pacifist which leads to the reason the oathbreakers exist.