Stefan Uros Nemanjic I

Serbian king from 1243 to 1276 and Saint. The third son of Stefan First-Crowned. His rule was longer more stable and more prosperous than those of his elder brothers Radoslav and Vladislav combined. He led a more independent foreign policy. The regional and international situation had objectively changed as well, as Uros I acceded to the throne in the wake the Tatar invasions; their devastation affected all of southeastern Europe, but was more pronounced in Hungary and Bulgaria. Economic growth was obvious, and a direct result of the renewed exploitation of rich mines (silver and gold, but also iron, copper and lead), and the trade activity and monetary economy that followed it. The mining settlements and marketplaces became veritable townships, changing the rural landscape of some Serbian areas. Saxon miners, Ragusan traders and other distinct ethno-economic groups with specific roles in this process were stimulated by appropriate privileges. Uros I was overthrown in 1276 by his elder son Dragutin. He was allowed to retire to a monstery in Zahumlje, where he became monk Simeon.