Stefan Dragutin

Stefan Dragutin
King Dragutin, (founder's portrait (fresco) in Saint Achillius Church, painted during his lifetime, around 1296)
King of Syrmia
Tenure	1282–1316
Successor	Stefan Vladislav II of Syrmia
King of Serbia
Tenure	1276–1282
Predecessor	Stefan Uroš I
Successor	Stefan Uroš II Milutin
Burial	Đurđevi Stupovi
Spouse	Catherine of Hungary
Issue	Vladislav Elizabeth Urošica
Dynasty	Nemanjić
Father	Stefan Uroš I
Mother	Helen of Anjou
Religion	Eastern Orthodoxy

Stefan Dragutin (Serbian: Стефан Драгутин; died 12 March 1316) was the King of Serbia from 1276 to 1282 and King of Syrmia (Srem) from 1282 to 1316.

He ruled Serbia until his abdication in 1282, when he became ill. He continued to rule the royal domains of Syrmia as King of Syrmia, and his younger brother succeeded him as ruler of Serbia. Later he became a monk and changed his name to Teokist. In the list of Serbian saints, Stefan Dragutin is venerated on 12 November or 30 October (Old Style and New Style dates).

Dragutin was the eldest son of king Stefan Uroš I of Serbia by Helen of Anjou. He married Catherine, daughter of Hungarian king Stephen V. He was the leading Hungarian proponent in Serbian politics, and because of this he came in conflict with his father, from whom he then usurped the throne in 1276 with help of Hungary, after a clash with his forces at Battle of Gacko.

Dragutin divided the kingdom in three parts: Queen Helen held Zeta, Trebinje, Plav and Poibarje; his younger brother, Stefan Milutin, held the southern lands, while Dragutin held for held for himself the larger, northern part. He began to attack the Byzantine Empire but had no success.

In 1282 he broke his leg while hunting and became ill; he passed the throne to his younger brother Stefan Milutin at the council at Deževo 1282, while keeping for himself some northern parts of the country. Since his son Vladislav married the relative of a Hungarian king, Dragutin in 1284 gained from Ladislaus IV of Hungary areas of Mačva with Belgrade, and the Bosnian areas Soli and Usora, which he ruled until 1316, establishing family relations with Bosnian ban Stephen I. His new state was named Kingdom of Srem. The first capital of his state was Debrc (between Belgrade and Šabac), and later he moved his residence to Belgrade. He is the first of the Serb rulers who ruled from the capital of Belgrade.