AI-Assisted Historiography in Islamic Studies: Reconstructing Economic Ethics, Detecting Textual Errors, and Recovering Marginalized Voices (Eunuchs) in Brill’s Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. II (Letter E)

Abstract

The increasing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the humanities has significantly transformed the methodologies of historical research and textual analysis. Within Islamic studies, traditional historiography has long relied on philological methods, critical reasoning, and manuscript-based scholarship. While these approaches have produced a rich intellectual legacy, they remain constrained by challenges such as textual inconsistencies, transmission errors, and the marginalization of certain historical actors. This study proposes an interdisciplinary framework that applies AI-assisted methodologies to Islamic historiography, focusing on three interconnected themes derived from Brill’s Encyclopaedia of Islam, Volume II (Letter E): economic systems, textual errors, and eunuchs in Islamic history. By employing computational tools such as Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning, and data mining, the research demonstrates how AI can enhance textual accuracy, detect historiographical inconsistencies, and reconstruct underrepresented narratives. The study further explores the ethical dimensions of Islamic economic systems and the socio-political significance of eunuchs, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity in historical reconstruction. Ultimately, this paper argues that AI-assisted historiography offers a transformative approach that bridges classical Islamic scholarship with modern technological advancements, contributing to a more comprehensive and ethically grounded understanding of Islamic intellectual history.