Final answer:
The short-term effect of the Mongol conquests on Islamic Central Asia and the Middle East was increased trade and cultural exchange, not the spread of the Black Death, strengthening of the Islamic empire, or decline of the Mongol Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the short-term effects of the Mongol conquests on Islamic Central Asia and the Middle East was the increased trade and cultural exchange. Following their invasions, the Mongols enabled the flow of goods, services, and ideas across the vast Eurasian landmass they controlled, resulting in increased commerce and interaction between diverse cultures. Although the Mongols brought much destruction, their impact on trade and cultural interactions cannot be overlooked.
The spread of the Black Death was another outcome, though it is often considered a mid-term effect that happened as a consequence of the vast trade networks that the Mongols established. It was not an immediate consequence of conquest but rather followed the expanded trade routes that facilitated the movement of goods and diseases alike.
Contrary to strengthening the Islamic empire, the Mongol conquests disrupted the region and led to the end of the Abbasid Caliphate. With the fall of Baghdad in 1258, the Islamic Golden Age was effectively brought to a close. Thus, option 3 is not a correct short-term effect of the Mongol invasions.
The decline of the Mongol Empire itself was not an immediate result of their conquests in the Middle East and Central Asia. It was a more prolonged process influenced by various factors, including internal strife, over-expansion, and the series of catastrophic events such as the Black Death.