Stephen Dusan and Dubrovnik (Ragusa)

Relations between Stephen Dusan and Ragusa in the research, the results of which have been exposed here, are observed in their totality, which implies individual political, social and economic moments, all of them observed in their interdependence. Listed factors include real reciprocity and impact directly on development of interrelations. Political segment is active and in many cases decisive, but not an isolate factor in those relationships. Together with others it participates actively in shaping of those relationships, for realizing their common interest which is basically significant and easily noticeable economic factor. Only in such a way and following that kind of approach it was possible to perceive how medieval society, both Serbian and Ragusan, was permeated and shaped under the influence of these factors. The research is clearly chronologically defined and thematically profiled. Although the dignity of the Young King assigned to Stephen Dusan as far back as 1322, his first contacts with Ragusa came not until more than four year later and from that point could be traced continuously up to two weeks before he died. In these terms, the focus of the research is on the period from the spring of 1326, to the end of autumn 1355. In geographic terms, the research framework is leaving territory of Serbia and Ragusa, following their mutual relations, primarily in the direction of Venice, the supremacy of which Ragusa did recognize at the time, but only within the limits of how far these mutual relations could be recognized and tracked. During the research attention has not been focused only on the direct relations between the Serbian ruler and the Municipality of Ragusa, so that the title might be implying. Such an approach would have left aside the very important process that had taken place between Ragusa and hinterland, or coastal areas of the Serbian state, having in mind firstly the Trebinje area, on which leaned largely the territory of Municipality of Ragusa named Astarea, and the Land of Hum also, and, to a lesser extent, Zeta, primarily because of geographical distance. It should be noted that in this respect the emphasis was placed primarily on political relations, because the deeper discussion on various aspects of economic and social issues would have distracted attention from the focus of research, producing an imbalance in commitment to such issues in this area than in other areas of the Serbian state, for which the source material does no