As the center of the ancient Gandhara region, Peshawar became the capital of the Kushan Empire under the rule of Kanishka; and was home to the Kanishka stupa, which was among the tallest buildings in the ancient world. Peshawar was then ruled by the Hephthalites, followed by the Hindu Shahis, before the arrival of Muslim empires. The city was an important trading centre during the Mughal era, before becoming part of the Durrani Empire in December 1747, and serving as the winter capital from 1776 until the capture of the city by the Sikh Empire in March 1823, who were then followed by the British in 1846.