Two scenarios i the mid 1500s in India had a profound effect on the Subcontinent:
1. The Second Battle of Panipat in 1556
2. The Nattle of Talikota in 1565
In the first, the Emperor Hemu was defeated by the Gennerals of Prince Jalal ud Din Mohammed. While Hemu's force was larger, he was struck by an arrow through his eyes and after not seeing him of his Elephant his army got discouraged and went haywire and ultimately the Mughals won.
Hemu had started centralisation of power in the Empire and started many reforms.
The second was a battle between the larger Vijaynagar Empire army against the smaller army of the Alliance of Deccan Sultanates. the Vijaynagar army was under the command of the Gilani brothers who defected so as to not fight their Muslim brothers and Aliya Rama Raya who was captured during the battle, which caused chaos and allowed the Alliance to win the Battle. Vijaynagar was a centalised state (in Indian context).
POD 1: During the Battle, the strategy to dislodge Hemu from his Elephant failed and the Emperor's army defeated the smaller Mughal Army, killing Bairam Khan and Khan Zaman I who were the main Mughal commanders.
POD 2: The Gilani brothers fight the Alliance and on seeing the Vijaynagar empire holding its own, the Hindu kingdoms in the Alliance defected to Vijaynagar, which led to the rout of the Alliance forces.