Historically, it was a patriarchal monarchy led by a reth from the divine lineage of the culture hero Nyikang, who is believed to affect the nation's health.

[1] Today, the Shilluk government is a democracy, with an elected headman voted in by a council of hamlet heads.

[1] Like most Nilotic groups, cattle-raising is a large part of their economy; however, agriculture and fishing are more significant activities than usual.

[2] General characteristics among the Nilotic people include long legs, narrow bodies, and short trunks, adaptations to South Sudan's hot climate.

The study suggests that Nilotic people "may attain greater height if privileged with favorable environmental conditions during early childhood and adolescence, allowing full expression of the genetic material.

The Shilluk were a minority in the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) for most of the Second Sudanese Civil War, their number peaking in the late 1980s and the pre-ceasefire fighting in 2004.