Stefan Dragutin became king of Serbia in 1276, defeating near Gacko his father King Uros I. Because of the serious injuries sustained by a fall from a horse, at the Council of Dezevo in 1282 he stepped down from power in favor of his brother Milutin, but retaining the northern parts of the country. Since he was married Catalina, daughter of Hungarian King Stephen, he received governance of Macva-Bosnian Banovina and Belgrade. Since this area is called "Srem" King Dragutin in sources is called the "King of Srem", or according to the old Serbian genealogies and chronicles the "king of Srem and Usora", ie. "The one who kept the country Srem and Usora." At a congress of the nobility and clergy of their state power was handed over to his son Vladislav. His daughter Elizabeth was married to the Bosnian ban Stjepan Kotromanic, from which marriage is Prince Vladislav, father of Tvrtko I Kotromanic, king "of Serbs, Bosnia and the Seacoast and Western Areas".
King Stefan Dragutin was the grandfather of King Ban and King Tvrtko (1353-1377; 1377-1391), who after act of royal coronation at the tomb of St. Save in the monastery Mileseva 26 October 1377, at tradition of Nemanjici also took the name Stefan. He died in the spring, on March 12, 1316, prior to becoming the monk and gotten the monastic name Teoctist. His relics are resting in the Monastery, Djurdjevi Stupovi at Rasa. Part of his earthly remains now housed in the monastery Raca on the Drina.
Serbian Orthodox Church celebrates him on 12 November as venerable Teoctist.
Author: Pero Lakic
Publisher: Poste Srpske a.d. Banjaluka
