Text Analysis with ChatGPT: Mamluk Period an Example from the Year 815 (1412-1413)

Reflecting the recent increasing interest in digital applications in social sciences, this article examines the political and social upheavals of the year 815 (1412-1413) during the Mamluk period (648-923/1250-1517), as described by two prominent historians: al-Maqrīzī (d. 845/1442) in Kitāb al-sulūk li-ma’rifat duwal al-mulūk and al-ʿAynī (d. 855/1451) in Iqd al-jūman fī ta’rikh ahl al-zamán. The article’s unique contribution lies in transforming the unpublished manuscript of al-ʿAynī’s work from 815 (1412-1413) into a digital format using the eScriptorium transcription application. This digitized text is then compared with al-Maqrīzī’s work using two distinct ChatGPT models (o1 and 4o). In conclusion, the study demonstrates that AI-supported text analysis and digital transcription applications can enhance speed, accuracy, and interpretative possibilities in historiography.