 Born in Abrud, present-day Alba County, Șuluțiu served as an officer in the Imperial and Royal Army during the last years of the Napoleonic Wars.Upon the outbreak of the Transylvanian Revolution of 1848, Șuluțiu, who for years had worked in the administration of his native town, was unanimously proclaimed tribune over the area, with the rank of major.Serving in the Auraria Gemina Legion under Avram Iancu, he played a decisive role in organizing the local "moți" along military lines.