Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The question requires arranging events related to British administration and agrarian history, particularly in the Deccan, in the correct time sequence.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's establish the dates for each event:
(D) Regulating Act passed by the British Parliament: This was an early act by the British Parliament to overhaul the management of the East India Company's rule in India. It was passed in 1773. This is the earliest event.
(C) First revenue settlement in the Bombay Deccan: After the annexation of the Peshwa's territories in 1818, the British began to implement their land revenue policies. The first revenue settlement in the Bombay Deccan, a form of the Ryotwari system, was made in the 1820s.
(B) Slow process of agrarian expansion in the Bombay Deccan: Following the new revenue settlement, there was a period of agrarian expansion in the Deccan throughout the early and mid-19th century, though the revenue demands were high. This process took place after the 1820s.
(A) Ryots in Deccan villages rebel: Over-assessment of revenue, falling agricultural prices, and the exploitative practices of moneylenders led to widespread rural debt. This culminated in the Deccan Riots, where ryots (peasants) rebelled against moneylenders and the revenue system in 1875. This is the latest event.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct chronological order is: Regulating Act (D), First revenue settlement (C), Agrarian expansion (B), and the Deccan rebellion (A). The sequence is (D), (C), (B), (A).