Letter of Petrus Tavares, Praefectus Major Lusitanorum et Imperator Akbar to Padre Roderico Vicente, Fatehpur Sikri, 1578

Akbar is so powerful that there are 70 tributaries under him, with 300,000 horsemen and 20,000 elephants, besides 16,000 horses in the stable. He has 14,000 deer out of which 4000 are brought up in the house and 700 domesticated panthers and 10,000 oxen to draw carts, 500,000 birds. Each day 1500 birds are slaughtered for food for the others. He has a postal system, 20,000 men on horse to guard him, and 500 brave elephants to guard the palace at night.