Yep, that's what I thought too. They have relatively few variables to deal with:
- Only one major opponent to deal with at a time (first Mughals, then Persia). Portugal and Mysore are trivial hindrances.
- Only one direction (northwest) to expand and be threatened by.
- No economic problems due to prosperous/wealth towns, internal trade goods for export, and many ports.

The little German states are in the complete opposite situation. They're completely surrounded by potential enemies, their regions, though rich, are tiny.