He started what would become the largest civilization that the world ever had. Of course this civilization had to come through war, lots of deaths, and warmongering. Even with the obvious bad, he managed to control this vast of an empire, preserve some cultures, etc. So, do historians view him as a disgusting person? Maybe not to the extent of Hitler, Stalin, etc., but still a villain of history?
Potentially better follow up: Do historians actually view anyone as villains? I had got the impression that the more general sociocultural factors were being considered instead of individuals in good historical work.