The Image of the King and the Poor: On the Study of Navo’i’s interpretations

The article presents a systematic examination of scientific studies devoted to the king–dervish (shoh-u gado) motif and its artistic-philosophical significance in the works of Alisher Navoi. The study initially reviews existing academic interpretations of the motif as a distinctive conceptual element in Navo’i’s oeuvre and subsequently advances the author’s analytical conclusions.
The primary objective of the research is to determine how the figures of the king and the dervish are represented as a unified conceptual and artistic system in Navoi’s writings, particularly in the epic “Saddi Iskandari”, and to elucidate their Sufi, ethical, and socio-philosophical meanings. In this context, Navoi’s views on kingship, dervishhood, spiritual poverty (faqr), and the ideal human being are examined alongside a critical analysis of relevant scholarly literature.
The study pursues several key tasks: identifying the symbolic and metaphorical features of the king–dervish figures; analyzing their ideological and artistic functions; demonstrating that this motif reflects not merely a social dichotomy but a hierarchy of spiritual and moral development; and comparatively evaluating existing interpretations within Navoi studies.
Methodologically, the research employs comparative-historical, hermeneutic, and conceptual analysis. Works by scholars such as A.Qayumov, A.Abdugafurov, N.Komilov, I.Ismoilov, and N.Ramazonov are systematically considered, enabling a more comprehensive understanding of the motif. 
The findings reveal that in Navo’i’s oeuvre the king–dervish motif signifies primarily stages of spiritual perfection rather than social stratification. The true king is the spiritually perfected individual who embodies dervishhood, whereas the true beggar is one attached to worldly desires. Thus, this concept functions as a stable artistic-philosophical system expressing the ideals of human perfection, just governance, and divine truth.