Cooch Behar is in northern India, in the area between Bangladesh, Assam and Bhutan. The family of the Maharaja, Sir Nripenda Narayan Bhup (1862-1911), had ruled the territory for over 400 years. He succeeded the throne in 1863 but as he was only an infant he did not rule independently until 1883, at the age of 21.  He studied at Wards Institute in Benares (Varanasi), then Bankipur College, Patna and lastly read law at Presidency College in Calcutta (Kolkata). He went on to further study in England and was in London for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1887, when he was received by the Queen.
In the painting the Maharaja is depicted wearing Durbar (court) dress and the badge of the Order of the Indian Empire. Hall also painted a portrait of Suniti Devi, the Maharani, his wife (RCIN 403601).

Signed and dated: Sydney. P. Hall / 1887.