[4] His accomplishments include the completion of construction of the Great Ziggurat of Ur, begun by his father Ur-Nammu.

[5] He used the symbol for divinity (𒀭) before his name, marking his apotheosis, from at least the 21st year of his reign and was worshipped in the Ekhursag palace he built.

He had proclaimed himself a god by his 21st regnal year (there are indications this occurred as early as S12), and was recognized as such by the whole of Sumer and Akkad.

[11] CM 48, written late in the 1st millennium BC, charges him with improper tampering with the rites, composing "untruthful stelae, insolent writings" on them.

[11] The Chronicle of Early Kings (ABC 20), written in the mid-2nd millennium BC, accuses him of "criminal tendencies, and the property of Esagila and Babylon he took away as booty.

In the 3rd month of his successor, libations to the dead were first recorded for Shulgi and two wives Geme-Ninlila and Shulgi-simti.

However, over the course of the 20th century, the scholarly consensus gravitated away from dun towards shul as the correct pronunciation of the 𒂄 sign.

[17] An inscription mentions that Taram-Uram, the daughter of Apil-kin, became the "daughter-in-law" of Ur-Nammu, and therefore the Queen of king Shulgi.

[22][23] Another queen, Shulgi-simti, who is known from a high number of texts presenting evidence for her economic power, had similar status.

The archive shows she selected various large animals to use in rituals for deities including Belet-Šuḫnir and Belet-Terraban, Annunitum, Ulmašītum, Nanna, Ninlil and Enlil.

[26] Shulgi, with many wives and concubines, is known to have had at least sixteen sons including Etel-pū-Dagān, Amar-dDa-mu, Lu-dNanna, Lugal-a-zi-da, Ur-d,Suen, and possibly Amar-Sin (his throne name) as well as one daughter, Peš-tur-tur.

[35] While Der had been one of the cities whose temple affairs Shulgi had directed in the first part of his reign, in his 20th year he claimed that the gods had decided that it now be destroyed, apparently as some punishment.

[36] Following this, Shulgi engaged in a period of expansionism at the expense of highlanders such as the Lullubi, and destroyed Simurrum (another mountain tribe) and Lulubum nine times between the 26th and 45th years of his reign.

He also destroyed Kimaš and Ḫurti (cities to the east of Ur, somewhere near Elam) in the 45th year of his reign.

[44][16] An etched carnelian bead, now located in the Louvre Museum (Sb 6627) and inscribed with a dedication by Shulgi was also found in Susa, the inscription reading: "Ningal, his mother, Shulgi, god of his land, King of Ur, King of the four world quarters, for his life dedicated (this)".

[16][45] The Ur III dynasty had held control over Susa since the demise of Puzur-Inshushinak, and they built numerous buildings and temples there.

[46] He also engaged in marital alliances, by marrying his daughters to rulers of eastern territories, such as Anšan, Marhashi and Bashime.

Year after: "Šulgi the strong man, the king of the four corners of the universe, destroyed Simurrum for the second time" 27b.