▁M aking ▁of ▁Modern ▁India , ▁Gu pta ▁analy zes ▁whether ▁and ▁how ▁post - colon ial ▁theory ▁can ▁be ▁applied ▁to ▁sub altern ▁rural ▁places . ▁He ▁attempts ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁growth ▁of ▁modern ▁India ▁through ▁its ▁agricult ural ▁sector . ▁Most ▁of ▁his ▁work ▁has ▁taken ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁north ▁Indian ▁state ▁of ▁U tt ar ▁Pr adesh . ▁Gu pta ▁has ▁also ▁tried ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁eth n ography ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁- ▁as ▁lived , ▁understood ▁and ▁discussed ▁in ▁rural ▁India . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁also ▁a ▁leading ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁anth rop ology ▁of ▁the ▁state , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁co - editor ▁of ▁a ▁book ▁of ▁collected ▁ess ays ▁called ▁The ▁Anth rop ology ▁of ▁the ▁State : ▁A ▁Re ader . ▁ ▁Ten ure - ship ▁controvers y ▁Gu pta ▁was ▁un anim ously ▁approved ▁for ▁ten ure ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁at ▁Stan ford , ▁but ▁was ▁then ▁denied ▁ten ure ▁by ▁the ▁de an ▁John ▁Sh oven . ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁out c ry ▁from ▁across ▁the ▁a cademy ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁mobil ization ▁by ▁students , ▁the ▁de an ' s ▁decision ▁was ▁over turn ed . ▁ ▁Selected ▁publications ▁ ▁Post colon ial ▁Develop ments : ▁Agricult ure ▁in ▁the ▁M aking ▁of ▁Modern ▁India , ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁ ▁Editor , ▁The ▁Anth rop ology ▁of ▁the ▁State : ▁A ▁Re ader ▁( with ▁Ar ad h ana ▁Sh