Thousands of warriors gathered on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, but where were the women? Did not a single woman fight in the Mahabharata war, or has their role been overlooked because they were not carrying weapons? The answer is more complicated than a simple count of zero. The epic describes women who remained away from the battlefield, yet their decisions, vows, grief, and political influence helped shape the events that led to the war. From Draupadi's presence at the centre of the conflict to Shikhandi's role in Bhishma's fall, the story raises a deeper question about what it means to hold power.
